SBIR Phase I: Satellites in Low Earth Orbit as a Learning Tool

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是支持科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)劳动力的发展。随着最近在其他行星上的太空任务的成功，天基STEM学习工具将引起教师、学生、家长和公众的关注。该项目提出了一个向中学生传授小卫星分析、设计、制造和测试的系统。该系统使用天基系统作为传授STEM概念和方法的令人信服的背景。这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目以卫星为背景创建STEM洞察力。例如，一个主要的挑战是将有效载荷容纳到一个小的堆积量中。微型化有时是一种解决方案，但可能会受到物理上的限制。例如，如果需要一个超过卫星尺寸的通信天线，它最初必须装入一个体积只有10厘米立方体的数量级。装载后，它必须可靠地部署在轨道上，并具有准确和精确的形状。拟议的教学计划包括：学生可进入的小卫星的初步概念设计，教师和学生关于空间遥感入门的循序渐进的课程练习册，卫星轨道物理，以及将游戏方法用于教育计划的详细软件规范。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to support development of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. With the recent successes of space missions to other planets, space-based STEM learning tools will attract the attention of teachers, students, parents, and the public. This project proposes a system to teach middle-school students about analysis, design, building and testing of small satellites. The system uses space-based systems as a compelling context to teach STEM concepts and methods. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project creates STEM insights using a satellite as the context. For instance, a major challenge is accommodating the payload into a small stowed volume. Miniaturization is sometimes a solution but may be limited by the physics. For example, if a communications antenna exceeding the satellite size is desired, it must initially stow into a volume only on the order of a 10 cm cube. Following stowage, it must be deployed on orbit reliably and with an accurate and precise shape. The proposed lesson plan includes: preliminary concept design of a student-accessible small satellite, a teacher and student step-by-step lessons workbook on introductory remote sensing from space, physics of satellite orbits, and detailed software specifications to use gaming approaches for educational plans.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.