Lab is designed to emulate conditions and situations in space.
Khalifa University recently opened its new Spacecraft Platform for Astronautic and Celestial Emulation (SPACE) laboratory this innovative new lab comes equipped with special Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) robots and sensing systems that all help mimic actual conditions in space and develop the base and the workspace for the students to conduct experiments of spacecraft relative motion.
The lab was developed By Dr. Ahmad Bani Younes Assistant Professor in the University’s Aerospace Engineering program who designed it for the students in his Space Dynamics and Control course. The lab provides students with an opportunity to conduct mission-oriented research and get hands on experience in conducting experiments for sensing guidance dynamics and control of aerospace and space operations in a suitable environment.
Currently Dr. Bani Younes has a group of senior Aerospace Engineering students working on an innovative design project titled “Design Build and Testing of Attitude Test-bed Platform for Emulating CubeSat Missions.” The objective of this project is to design test control algorithms for the control of a CubeSat which is a type of miniaturized satellite for space research that typically uses commercial off-the-shelf components for its electronics. The students utilize the lab in order to develop experiments for spacecraft Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) functions; including pointing sensing platform stabilization and orbit maintenance operations. In addition they use the attitude control of the satellite to point communications antennas camera sensors and other instruments. Finally when the algorithms are complete the students will build a low-cost ground-based test platform to mimic the conditions of a weightless satellite in space. The test platform used in this project will control attitude through applying torque to reaction wheels.
Said Dr. Bani Younes ““The UAE is well positioned to become a regional global aerospace hub and the SPACE lab key technologies are closely in line with the UAE’s goals for space. The region here is looking towards the space era investing heavily in space programs and planning major projects. As the only Aerospace program in the country many are looking at Khalifa University to provide the human capital the country needs to achieve these ambitious projects. This lab can provide students with the knowledge they need to contribute to these missions and visions. Beyond the purely technical advances put forth by this lab it provides a training ground for the next generation of aerospace engineering researchers and scientists in the UAE region; providing them with relevant cutting-edge opportunities to work on both theoretical and algorithmic methodology and the corresponding experimental and hardware realizations that can contribute to our Nations continued leadership in space and air applications for NASA in the years ahead.”
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Lab is designed to emulate conditions and situations in space.
Khalifa University recently opened its new Spacecraft Platform for Astronautic and Celestial Emulation (SPACE) laboratory this innovative new lab comes equipped with special Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) robots and sensing systems that all help mimic actual conditions in space and develop the base and the workspace for the students to conduct experiments of spacecraft relative motion.
The lab was developed By Dr. Ahmad Bani Younes Assistant Professor in the University’s Aerospace Engineering program who designed it for the students in his Space Dynamics and Control course. The lab provides students with an opportunity to conduct mission-oriented research and get hands on experience in conducting experiments for sensing guidance dynamics and control of aerospace and space operations in a suitable environment.
Currently Dr. Bani Younes has a group of senior Aerospace Engineering students working on an innovative design project titled “Design Build and Testing of Attitude Test-bed Platform for Emulating CubeSat Missions.” The objective of this project is to design test control algorithms for the control of a CubeSat which is a type of miniaturized satellite for space research that typically uses commercial off-the-shelf components for its electronics. The students utilize the lab in order to develop experiments for spacecraft Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) functions; including pointing sensing platform stabilization and orbit maintenance operations. In addition they use the attitude control of the satellite to point communications antennas camera sensors and other instruments. Finally when the algorithms are complete the students will build a low-cost ground-based test platform to mimic the conditions of a weightless satellite in space. The test platform used in this project will control attitude through applying torque to reaction wheels.
Said Dr. Bani Younes ““The UAE is well positioned to become a regional global aerospace hub and the SPACE lab key technologies are closely in line with the UAE’s goals for space. The region here is looking towards the space era investing heavily in space programs and planning major projects. As the only Aerospace program in the country many are looking at Khalifa University to provide the human capital the country needs to achieve these ambitious projects. This lab can provide students with the knowledge they need to contribute to these missions and visions. Beyond the purely technical advances put forth by this lab it provides a training ground for the next generation of aerospace engineering researchers and scientists in the UAE region; providing them with relevant cutting-edge opportunities to work on both theoretical and algorithmic methodology and the corresponding experimental and hardware realizations that can contribute to our Nations continued leadership in space and air applications for NASA in the years ahead.”
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