In addition to required coursework, I specialized in the Space Environments and Thermal Control subsystems during our year-long capstone senior design project, a theoretical Earth-observing mission in an SSO orbit at 700 km altitude. I helped characterize the loading, material selection, and mitigation for thermal and environmental effects on the proposed 5-year lifetime spacecraft. Below are some examples of my contributions.
Space Environments I. Effects of the space environment on a spacecraft and design considerations. Lecture and laboratory topics include the launch, vacuum, neutral and particulate environments.
Space Environments II. Effects of the space environment on a spacecraft and design considerations. Lecture and laboratory topics include the radiation, plasma, and thermal environments and the synergistic effects.
Master’s Thesis – Abstract (work in progress)
Working abstract for my atomic oxygen / silicone contamination thesis work, to be presented at the AAS Space Flight Mechanics Meeting in January, 2025.
Master’s thesis working title: Investigation into Silicone-Silicate Conversion Threshold and Atomic Oxygen Exposure in Low Earth Orbit
Spacecraft Contamination
My independent work on this project focused primarily on the contamination section; although I contributed to the AO and MMOD sections.
Course: Senior Design
Thermal Control System
My work focused mostly on the thermal circuit diagrams, thermal environment, radiation design and analysis, orbital mechanics model; although I contributed heavily to the simulations and MLI layering design.
Course: Senior Design