In addition to designing and building TRYAD 1
and 2, the Auburn students will also be responsible
for commanding and controlling the CubeSats in
space using the NASA Near Earth Network of
ground stations. Through communication with the
two satellites, students will also test PULSAR, a
new high-bandwidth radio developed by NASA
engineers, capable of transmitting 150 million data
bits per second.
The UAH collaborators on the project, Michael
Briggs, assistant director and principal research
scientist, and Peter Jenke, research associate, both
from the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic
Research, are responsible for developing the science
instrument used to detect the gamma-rays while in
orbit. They will also collect and analyze the science
data. Auburn University will have access to the data
before it is distributed to the scientific community
at large.
“We are grateful for our NSF funding, but we are
always in need of additional funding so that we
can involve more students in the program and
push it to the next level. Added funding would
allow our students to travel to conferences, satellite
reviews, and the actual launch of the satellite. It
would also allow us to produce more advanced and
more competitive satellites. We welcome private
and corporate gifts,” said Wersinger. “Your support
will directly contribute to the education and career
advancement of Auburn students, and a strong
Auburn presence in space. ”
The Auburn University Student Space Program is
part of the College of Sciences and Mathematics.
For more information, visit the website at
www.space.auburn.edu. For more information on
funding opportunities, contact the COSAM Office
of Alumni and Development at 334.844.2931, or
send an e-mail to [email protected].
Pictured on page 42, from left, is J-M Wersinger,
Student Space Program director and professor emeritus
in the Department of Physics, Mike Fogle, Student
Space Program faculty mentor and assistant professor
in the Department of Physics, and Student Space
Program participants Mark Gallagher, a junior in
computer engineering, and Michael Phillips, a senior
in physics.
College of Sciences and Mathematics
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