May 2, 2024
3 min
Satellites designed by Carnegie Mellon University researchers to orbit in a swarm and maintain communication with each other while zipping around the Earth will test the latest in low-cost, CubeSat technology.
The CMU team is monitoring four small satellites as they communicate with each other, determining where they are relative to one another and autonomously maneuvering to stay within communication range. The satellites have no propulsion systems but can change their orbital positions by adjusting their orientation in flight to increase or decrease drag. These maneuvers will allow the satellites to stay within a few hundred miles of each other and orbit in a loose formation relative to members of the swarm.
“We’re trying to do really complicated, multiagent autonomy in a very small box,” said Zac Manchester, an assistant professor in the Robotics Institute at CMU’s School of Computer Science. “Our goal is to have these satellites act autonomously in a coordinated way. We want them to talk to each other, find out where their buddies are and stay close enough to maintain communication.”
Manchester’s Robotic Exploration Lab leads the project, known as PY4. The experiment is funded through a NASA Small Spacecraft Technology program grant, led by the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, and managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. The four CubeSats, each measuring 4 inches by 4 inches by 6.5 inches — about the size of a cracker box — launched Monday, March 4, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The PY4 mission intends to demonstrate a low-cost approach to multiple-satellite missions. Advancing autonomy and proving that relatively small and inexpensive satellites can succeed could reduce mission and operational costs dramatically for subsequent missions. This technology demonstration aims to show that a group of low-cost small satellites provide the same functionality as larger, more costly spacecraft.
Multiple satellites are needed for multipoint science data collection and for applications like positioning and tracking, stereo and 3D imaging of the Earth, and taking measurements to study the atmosphere and weather. Lowering the cost of these missions seeks to broaden the applications of multisatellite technology.
“The big one that has been motivating us in the lab has been global wildlife tracking,” Manchester said. “We could have a number of low-cost satellites monitoring animals across the world to better understand the global impacts of poaching, illegal fishing, deforestation and climate change.”
The satellites operate in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of about 342 miles (550 kilometers), slightly higher than the International Space Station. Solar panels snapped open once the satellites were in orbit to charge the batteries. The satellites orbit the Earth, passing over the poles at about 15,660 miles per hour (7 kilometers per second). The CMU team is monitoring the satellites but can only communicate directly with them using their own ground station during a five-minute window a few times per day. For the rest of the time, they rely on the Iridium constellation for communication with the satellites.
A rendering of the satellites in orbit.
In orbit, the satellites act autonomously. They periodically measure their relative distance to establish their positions in relation to each other. Combining this information with other sensor data available from the satellites allows them to control the configuration of the swarm. A maneuver such as changing the configuration of the swarm from a line to a box could take weeks.
Manchester expects his team to gather all the data needed for their research in a few months.
Zachary Manchester is a researcher and aerospace engineer with broad interests in dynamics, control, estimation and optimization. If you're looking to know more about this project - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Zachary Manchester is a researcher and aerospace engineer with broad interests in dynamics, control, estimation and optimization.
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Carnegie Mellon University’s artificial intelligence experts come from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, representing fields including computer science, sustainability, national security and entrepreneurship. Ahead of the AI Horizons Summit highlighting the city's commitment to responsible technology, CMU experts weighed in on why they see Pittsburgh as a hub for human-centered AI.
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Earlier this month, alarm bells were ringing at the Justice Department after a Jordanian citizen was arrested for targeting and breaking into solar power facility farm in Florida. During that same time period, energy facilities in New Jersey and Idaho also came under attack. The attacks were politically motivated and have led national media outlets like USA Today to contact experts from Carnegie Mellon University to help explain the situation and break if all down. The Department of Homeland Security has issued warnings that domestic extremists have been developing "credible, specific plans" since at least 2020 and would continue to "encourage physical attacks against electrical infrastructure." Industry experts, federal officials, and others have warned in one report after another since at least 1990 that the power grid was at risk, said Granger Morgan, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University. One challenge is that there's no single entity whose responsibilities span the entire system, Morgan said. And the risks are only increasing as the grid expands to include renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, he said. August 15, 2024 - USA TODAY Professor Granger's comments are startling as America's vulnerabilities to important infrastructure seem to be more exposed than ever. And if you're a journalist looking to cover this emerging topic - then let us help with your questions and stories. Morgan Granger is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon below to arrange an interview today. Photo Credit: Zbynek Burival
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Carnegie Mellon University’s artificial intelligence experts come from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, representing fields including computer science, sustainability, national security and entrepreneurship. Ahead of the AI Horizons Summit highlighting the city's commitment to responsible technology, CMU experts weighed in on why they see Pittsburgh as a hub for human-centered AI.
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Earlier this month, alarm bells were ringing at the Justice Department after a Jordanian citizen was arrested for targeting and breaking into solar power facility farm in Florida. During that same time period, energy facilities in New Jersey and Idaho also came under attack. The attacks were politically motivated and have led national media outlets like USA Today to contact experts from Carnegie Mellon University to help explain the situation and break if all down. The Department of Homeland Security has issued warnings that domestic extremists have been developing "credible, specific plans" since at least 2020 and would continue to "encourage physical attacks against electrical infrastructure." Industry experts, federal officials, and others have warned in one report after another since at least 1990 that the power grid was at risk, said Granger Morgan, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University. One challenge is that there's no single entity whose responsibilities span the entire system, Morgan said. And the risks are only increasing as the grid expands to include renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, he said. August 15, 2024 - USA TODAY Professor Granger's comments are startling as America's vulnerabilities to important infrastructure seem to be more exposed than ever. And if you're a journalist looking to cover this emerging topic - then let us help with your questions and stories. Morgan Granger is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon below to arrange an interview today. Photo Credit: Zbynek Burival
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Is the bubble about to burst again on the country's economy? A recent article by Bloomberg News paints a picture of what lies ahead - and the predictions look bleak at best. The Congressional Budget Office warned in its latest projections that US federal government debt is on a path from 97% of GDP last year to 116% by 2034 — higher even than in World War II. The actual outlook is likely worse. From tax revenue to defense spending and interest rates, the CBO forecasts released earlier this year are underpinned by rosy assumptions. Plug in the market’s current view on interest rates, and the debt-to-GDP ratio rises to 123% in 2034. Then assume — as most in Washington do — that ex-President Donald Trump’s tax cuts mainly stay in place, and the burden gets even higher. With uncertainty about so many of the variables, Bloomberg Economics has run a million simulations to assess the fragility of the debt outlook. In 88% of the simulations, the results show the debt-to-GDP ratio is on an unsustainable path — defined as an increase over the next decade. April 01 - Bloomberg The economy is in the news every day - and if you're a journalist looking to know what the future may hold - then let us help with your coverage and questions. Professor Lee Branstetter is a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research and nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He is available to speak with media about the economy - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
