Space Flight Operations Training Center

The March Equinox: The First Day of Spring

emdecker — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 14:49:44 +0000

The March Equinox: The First Day of Spring emdecker March 18, 2022

With the changing of the seasons, changes within our solar system are happening as well. This can be attributed to the fact that although there are 24 hours in a day, it takes the earth 23 hours and 56 minutes to complete a full axis rotation around the sun. Those extra 4 minutes every day add up, and with the axial tilt of the earth, these elements make it so that celestial bodies are seen at differing locations and magnitudes throughout the year. This also gives us our four seasons of spring, summer, winter, and fall, as the temperature on earth is relative to its positioning towards the sun.

During the month of March, there are several celestial events to keep watch for 鈥?most notably, the March equinox on the 20^th, which denotes the 鈥渇irst day of spring鈥? happening this weekend. The equinox and the first day of Spring are directly related, as this is the day when the earth begins to tilt more towards the sun, creating longer days of light and warmer temperatures for the northern hemisphere. For the southern hemisphere, this day is when autumn begins, with shorter days of light and cooler temperatures. At approximately 11:33 a.m. EDT, the sun will pass northward along the celestial equator (a linear area in the sky above the earth鈥檚 equator). The earth鈥檚 tilt at this time will be equal to zero in relation to the sun, with its axis perpendicular to the sun鈥檚 light. This will result in a 24-hour period that will have equal day and night hours of approximately 12 hours each. The days following this event will start to have longer light hours than night hours for most areas in the northern hemisphere. While you cannot actually observe the March equinox using a telescope, you may notice the longer daylight on this day.

Diagram of the Spring Equinox in March. (Source: Timeanddate.com)

There will be other celestial happenings this month that are observable, however. On Friday, March 25 at 1:37 a.m. EDT, the moon will be in its third quarter phase where it is half-illuminated at that stage. Rising around midnight, it will remain observable until it sets later in the morning. The following week will feature dark, moonless skies that are ideal for sky-watching.

During March evenings, you will be able to see the constellations more clearly, such as the astrological Taurus with the Hyades Star Cluster formation at the Y- connection point, the Big Dipper, and other celestial groupings.

On Monday, March 28, a crescent moon will be nestled with Mars, Venus, and Saturn during the predawn hours around 5:30 a.m., offering a great photo opportunity.

Diagram of the formation of the Old Moon (crescent) with Mars, Venus, and Saturn. Source: Space.com

Capitol Tech offers many opportunities in aviation and astronautical sciences, where you can study celestial bodies and contribute to NASA research. With the arrival of the University鈥檚 ALPHA Observatory, new methods and hands-on experience will be explored in the classroom and the Space Flight Operations Training Center (SFOTC). To learn more about these programs, visit captechu.edu and view the various courses and degrees offered. Many are available both on-campus and online. For more information, contact admissions@captechu.edu.

References:

Almanac. (2022). First day of spring 2022: The spring equinox. https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-spring-vernal-equinox

Rao, J. (2011). Why the night sky changes with the seasons. https://www.space.com/10821-night-sky-changing-seasons.html

Vaughn, C. (2022). Best night sky events of March 2022 (stargazing maps). https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/best-night-sky-events-of-february-2022-stargazing-maps/ar-BB1fgyVY

Written by Erica Decker

Categories: Astronautical Engineering, Space Flight Operations Training Center

Space Flight Operations Training Center (SFOTC): Frequently Asked Questions

amschubert — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 20:07:11 +0000

Space Flight Operations Training Center (SFOTC): Frequently Asked Questions amschubert January 14, 2020

Capitol host numerous open houses throughout the year, the next open house is scheduled for January 25, 2020 at 9:30 am. Open houses provide prospective students and parents with the opportunity to visit University labs, dorms, meet professors and interact with current students and alumni. During all open houses, The Astronautical Engineering (AE) Space Flight Operations Training Center (SFOTC) provides tours and demos and answers the questions of students and parents. AE professors have complied a list of SFOTC Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found below. We look forward to meeting with students and parents at our next open house.

Any questions not address in the FAQ can be forwarded to sfotc@captechu.edu.

What is the Space Flight Operations Training Center (SFOTC)?

The Space Flight Operations Training Center, established in 2015 between Capitol Technology University and the Hammers Company, is the only center in Maryland geared toward training future students in spacecraft operations. Students are trained by operating a fleet of five virtual satellites using leading industry software packages to replicate a spacecraft Mission Operations Center (MOC).

How realistic are the simulated satellites?

Each spacecraft contains real-world Flight Software (FSW) from NASA鈥檚 Earth Observation One (EO-1) mission. Spacecraft Attitude Control System (ACS) and Core Flight System (CFS) are also incorporated to provide students with a realistic spacecraft simulation. The SFOTC spacecrafts are able to model various orbits; positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon; and various spacecraft subsystems such as reaction wheels, solar panels, etc. This enables students to execute commands and have the spacecraft respond as it would in orbit.

What kind of training do students receive?

Students receive training in spacecraft routine, anomaly, commissioning, launch and mission planning operations. At the conclusion of the program students will be proficient in all spacecraft operation elements currently used by NASA or commercial spacecraft operation centers.

How many AE courses use SFOTC?

Six courses currently use the SFOTC for various simulation exercises.

What is the typical duration of a spacecraft simulation?

Students enrolled in an AE course that employs the SFOTC can expect to use the SFOTC to execute labs, which range from a few minutes to hours, and training exercises, that can run between 1 and 2 weeks. Our AE-350: Autonomous Ground Systems course for example, will use the SFOTC during their course final and the simulations run between 8 to 12 days.

Will students work in teams?

Yes. The main goal for SFOTC is to replicate a spacecraft Mission Operations Center (MOC) environment. As such, students are paired into groups of 2 to 4 and are assigned with serving a required task in operating the spacecraft. This trains students to work in a collective team to resolve spacecraft anomalies and gain valuable experience with team communication.

Can you list the industry software used within the SFOTC?

The SFOTC uses a combination of industry and student developed software packages to operate our fleet of virtual spacecraft, a sample listing is provided below.

Hammers Company:

Galaxy Multi-Spacecraft Telemetry and Command System
VSAT Spacecraft Dynamic Simulator
STARS Spacecraft Trending System

A.I Solutions:

FreeFyler Spacecraft Flight Dynamics System

Taitus Software:

SaVoir Spacecraft Instrument planning System

CrushFTP Inc:

CrushFTP Automated Data Management System

Student Developed:

Spacecraft Pass Operational Clock (SPOC)
Spacecraft Optimizer Locator Observer (S.O.L.O)

Who Employs SFOTC graduates?

SFOTC graduates leave with all the required knowledge to work in the most advanced Spacecraft Control Centers for both government and commercial entities such as NASA, NOAA, Space Telescope, Hammers Company, One Web and many more.

Why use Simulated Spacecraft vs A Live Spacecraft?

A great question! There are multiple reasons why using a simulated spacecraft is more advantageous than a live mission. While a live spacecraft can provide a complete beginning-to-end learning exercise for students (by using physical equipment such as ground stations, instruments, etc), their cost, availability and configuration make using live satellites to train students in various operational modes difficult. In contrast, a simulator is not constrained by spacecraft availability can be quickly configured for various operational modes and orbits. In addition a simulator鈥檚 lifespan can far exceed that of their live spacecraft counterparts.

I want more information or to schedule a site visit:

The University hosts numerous open houses throughout the year and are posted on the University website. The SFOTC are open during these visits. If a student or parent has any questions contact SFOTC at sfotc@captechu.edu or if you wish to schedule SFOTC contact our great admissions team at admissions@captechu.edu.

Categories: Space Flight Operations Training Center

With new facility, Capitol Technology University offers enhanced satellite op training

raherschbach2 — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 19:02:00 +0000

With new facility, Capitol Technology University offers enhanced satellite op training raherschbach2 September 29, 2017

Learning to command and control and spacecraft requires both knowledge and practice, but being able to obtain hands-on training is often a challenge for students. Opportunities to assist with actual missions are limited and 鈥?understandably, given the costs and high stakes involved 鈥搇ittle direct responsibility is placed on students.

With the help of the Hammers Company, a MD-based firm that has contributed to numerous NASA and commercial missions, Capitol Technology University now offers a resource that most space engineering programs lack: a platform for real-time training in a virtual satellite environment.

At Capitol鈥檚 brand new Space Flight Operations Training Center (SFOTC) students use actual spacecraft software to control virtual satellites, replicating the scenarios they would actually face on the job. The system incorporates a number of tools pioneered by Hammers, which has supported more than 30 NASA missions with real-time simulation, flight, and ground software systems.

鈥淔rom the operator鈥檚 standpoint, when you鈥檙e on the system, it looks exactly like the spacecraft,鈥?explains Marcel Mabson, a software test engineer at Hammers and a Capitol alumnus.

The VirtualSat庐 spacecraft dynamic simulator 鈥渃loses-the-loop鈥?with the flight software simulating the actual spacecraft in orbit with sensors and actuators. Firing thrusters, performing spacecraft slews and monitoring the spacecraft telemetry are all possible in the virtual environment. VirtualSat allows the instructor to inject errors into the spacecraft to train the student to detect anomalies and conduct recovery procedures to up-link to the spacecraft. The Galaxy庐 spacecraft command and telemetry system allows the student to actually operate the virtual spacecraft in real-time and function as a spacecraft operator.

Classroom learning, while vital, can only go so far when it comes to preparing students for flight ops, Mabson said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to read about it in books, but it鈥檚 a whole different story when you鈥檙e responsible for a real bird that costs several hundreds of million dollars to build and launch,鈥?he said. 鈥淭he SFOTC will give students a leg-up when they go into the real world and work in operations. They鈥檒l have the experience.鈥?lt;/p>

That includes experience with responding to unexpected events, such as a loss in communications or a systems failure. Instructors can introduce anomalies that the student will have to address. 鈥淔or instance, your spacecraft has stopped talking to you,鈥?Mabson says. 鈥淗ow do you recover from that? Through the software, students will be able to understand the flow and management in any number of scenarios.鈥?lt;/p>

Capitol professor Rishabh Maharaja, a systems engineer for NASA鈥檚 Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) spacecraft, says the SFOTC will be integrated into several astronautical engineering courses at Capitol, and will be available to all students in the program.

It provides 鈥渞eal world experience while they鈥檙e still in school. And they can take that wherever they go, whether it鈥檚 to NASA or a private company, because the underlying principles are the same.鈥?lt;/p>

Because other disciplines such as computer science and electrical engineering are involved in satellite operations, he anticipates that the new resource will be extended beyond AE to other programs at Capitol as well, he said.

Mabson sums up the SFOTC as 鈥渁n amazing place for future engineers to learn the engineering behind spacecraft development, operations, commanding, and data analysis.鈥?lt;/p>

鈥淭he fact that we can train the students to see how they react in different situations, to get the full stress as it would be in a real NASA mission, is definitely an advantage for the school to have,鈥?he said.

Categories: Space Flight Operations Training Center

Interview: Rishabh Maharaja

raherschbach2 — Tue, 16 May 2017 14:35:09 +0000

Interview: Rishabh Maharaja raherschbach2 May 16, 2017

Project Hermes, a student-led endeavor that investigates command and control of satellites using the TCP-IP protocol, originated with an idea put forward by Capitol professor Rishabh Maharaja while teaching a class at the university. Since then, Maharaja has gone on to serve as principal investigator and mentor for the project, which will be included with the Cactus-1 payload scheduled for launch by NASA in late 2017.

Maharaja holds a master鈥檚 degree in Astronautical engineering from Capitol and has served on the faculty since graduation. He is deputy flight operations team lead for the EO-1 mission at NASA鈥檚 Goddard Space Flight Center. He spoke with Capitol Chronicle about the genesis of Hermes, its mission, and the ways in which it brings together students from multiple disciplines.

What is Project Hermes? What does it aim to accomplish?

The goal of Project Hermes is to research TCP-IP based satellite buses. It brings together astronautical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science 鈥?thus reflecting different facets of Capitol. Students from these different disciplines come together to work on a single goal, namely the design of a TCP-IP based bus architecture. Eventually, we鈥檙e hoping to add cybersecurity and business students to the team.

This project also demonstrates the link between the classroom experience and the collaborative learning experience represented by student projects. I originally came up with the concept for Project Hermes while teaching Introduction to Space during 2013, and I then mentored the student team as it turned that concept into a reality.

What makes this project unique?

It provides a proof of concept that allows for the use of commercial, off-the-shelf gear such as Android phones or WiFi modems in commanding and controlling satellites. In 2015 the TCP-IP based bus was successfully demonstrated on a Sound Rocket Flight based out of NASA鈥檚 Wallops Flight Facility. In 2015 Team Hermes was able to established a Wi-Fi network in space for system bus use, pair an Android smartphone in space to an Iridium-based Wi-Fi hotspot device, utilize the Iridium constellation for communication with the payload, use and program various applications available on the Google Play store to function as our Flight Software, and use TCP/IP devices (smartphone and smartwatch) on the ground as our Telemetry & Command System.

The low earth orbit flight on CACTUS-1 will allow team Hermes to demonstrate the use of Iridium constellation for a satellite-satellite link and to use the tracking data provided by Iridium for determining an orbit.

What are some of the specific roles assigned to team members from different fields?

The astronautical engineering students generally look at the satellite as a system; they determine what it needs in order to function. The electrical engineering students are responsible for devising the power scheme 鈥?how the satellite is going to be powered, and what it needs to do in order to remain power-positive and functional. They put together the battery and the solar panels 鈥?whatever is required in order for the system to work. The computer science students do the programming. They work with the astronautical engineers to determine what the payload needs in order to function, and then they develop flight software that corresponds to those needs.

In the future, we鈥檒l have cybersecurity students whose role will be to protect assets and keep them from being hacked. We鈥檒l also bring business students on board to oversee budgeting, allocation of hours, and other managerial tasks.

What do you see as the main benefits for students from working on a project of this nature?

They have the opportunity to work on a multidisciplinary team. They come to the table offering something that their course curriculum teaches, and then when they work with other course curricula, they learn concepts and skills that are associated with those fields. In this way, their knowledge expands.

Say I鈥檓 a business major, for example, and I find myself working with electrical engineering majors. I鈥檒l learn something about where electrical engineering fits into the project, and this in turn can strengthen my business perspective.

What is unique about Capitol in terms of our ability to provide opportunities for interdisciplinary education? What makes us well-poised to offer these opportunities?

We always encourage student growth and exploration. In my Introduction to Space class, for instance, I often have students who are taking it as an elective. They may be electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science majors, and they are in the class because they want to learn something about space. Capitol allows them to take courses such as this as electives. The university in general encourages students to 鈥渢hink outside the box鈥?鈥?it鈥檚 part of our institutional culture. We鈥檙e always glad to see students investigating something that is different and at the same time related to their primary area of focus.

Students are also encouraged to come up with concepts, develop them into projects, and form multidisciplinary teams. Hermes is just one example of such a project. Various other astronautical engineering projects such as CACTUS-1 and TrapSAT also encourage inter-disciplinary collaboration.

You鈥檝e been instrumental in the launch of Capitol鈥檚 new Space Flight Operations Training Center (SFOTC), the successor to the Space Operations Institute. How does the SFOTC foster interdisciplinary education?

As a professional flight operator, I can tell you that working with people from different disciplines is very much part of what goes on in the real world. The SFOTC, with its simulator and telemetry software, will encourage this because it will allow students from different disciplines to see how a spacecraft is flown. The SFOTC will be integrated into a variety of courses offered by the astronautical engineering program, and many of these classes will be open to students from other fields.

Professor, Astronautical Engineering

Categories: Astronautical Engineering, Space Flight Operations Training Center

Capitol Students Participate in RockSat-X, Launch Debris-Capturing Experiment

raherschbach2 — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 15:38:00 +0000

Capitol Students Participate in RockSat-X, Launch Debris-Capturing Experiment raherschbach2 September 16, 2016

An August 17 rocket launch from NASA鈥檚 Wallops Flight Facility carried student experiments from eight US universities and community colleges 鈥?and Capitol Technology University was among them.

The launch, capping this summer鈥檚 RockSat-X program at Wallops, took a Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket to an altitude of 95 miles. Capitol students who had spent months building and testing their payload were on hand to see it lifted into space.

It was another milestone for the TRAPSat student team at Capitol, which has been experimenting with the use of aerogel to capture miniscule space debris. The team鈥檚 goal at RockSat-X was to provide a proof of concept for using aerogel as a debris removal tool, and to demonstrate that aerogel blanketing can be a viable alternative to Multi-Layer Insulation.

The TRAPSat payload included a camera used to record images of the debris and to provide the team with data. The team hopes to use this data as it continues refining the project ahead of a 2018 launch as part of NASA鈥檚 CubeSat Launch Initiative.

鈥淭he team was thrilled with the RockSat-X experience,鈥?said TRAPSat鈥檚 lead engineer and principal investigator, Ryan Schrenk. 鈥淭hey were able to complete NASA鈥檚 review process, have their payload get on the launch pad, and see it actually launched into space. That says a lot. It says NASA had confidence that their payload would work, and that it wouldn鈥檛 cause interference with anything else.鈥?lt;/p>

鈥淣ASA was happy with what we did, we were happy we were able to do it, and we appreciated being one of the few teams that was able to stay on schedule and within the restrictions provided,鈥?Schrenk said.

Professor Angela Walters, chair of the astronautical engineering program at Capitol, said the review process 鈥?challenging as it is -- is one of the most valuable aspects of RockSat-X, since systems engineering is a way of looking at the 鈥渂ig picture鈥? and using systems engineering principles when making technical decisions and determining solutions to problems.

鈥淥ne of the benefits of the program is that the students get to go through these scheduled design reviews and have to meet the requirements. They鈥檙e required to pass those reviews in order to continue on in the program,鈥?she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 great practical experience that students can use in their post graduate careers.鈥?lt;br>
It also dovetails with the practical approach of Capitol鈥檚 AE program, Walters said. 鈥淥ur focus is on systems engineering and processes,鈥?she said. 鈥淲e prepare them, over the course of their projects at school, for what they will encounter in real-world situations.鈥?lt;/p>

Beyond that, she said, RockSat-X is just plain exhilarating.

鈥淚t鈥檚 cool to build something, have it placed on a rocket, and see it fly into space,鈥?she said. 鈥淟ots of people dream about that kind of experience. Our students get to do it.鈥?lt;/p>

Participating in RockSat-X were TRAPSat team members Christopher Murray, Zachary Richard, Robert Pierce Smith, Michael Strittmatter, Nathan Weideman, assisted by Zalika Dixon, Dan Whiteside, and Syiera Williams.

Categories: Astronautical Engineering, Space Flight Operations Training Center

SatNOGS node created at Capitol

raherschbach2 — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 20:04:58 +0000

SatNOGS node created at Capitol raherschbach2 August 10, 2016

Receiving data from CubeSats and other Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites can be tricky: their passes over a given location last only a few minutes. That鈥檚 not enough time to download images and other large files.

This summer, Capitol students and their counterparts in the university鈥檚 Brazilian summer exchange program were involved in a project designed to address this problem.

The solution? Create a network of satellite ground stations around the globe, linked by computer and equipped with software that can co-ordinate the sharing of data 鈥?thus allowing a user in one part of the world to communicate with a satellite even when it is no longer in range.

The SatNOGS network, launched in April 2014, currently has three live ground stations, with several others in development. It was designed with experimenters in mind, with stations that can be constructed for under $500 using readily available tools and the help of a 3D printer.

As it expands, the network will be able to provide vastly enhanced capabilities for retrieving status and telemetry signals as well as payload data from a wide range of LEO satellites, including the International Space Station (ISS).

鈥淪atNOGS consists of a group of stations that are connected to the network; through the web you can download data from satellites even when they are not flying over your ground station,鈥?explained Jonathas Kerber, who studies computer engineering at UFAM-Universidade Federal do Amazonas and was a participant in the Capitol summer exchange program, dubbed Capitol CubeSat Intensive. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 within range of another ground station in the network you can still access your satellite, which is very helpful.鈥?lt;br>
Adjunct professor Nathan Weideman supervised the project, with Capitol students Xavier Allan and Jackie Cleves serving as teaching assistants. In addition to preparing documentation for SatNOGS, Allan and Cleves constructed a dome that will house the antenna system on top of the McGowan Academic Center and protect against weather hazards.

Weideman says the SatNOGS node will be an asset to ongoing satellite projects at Capitol 鈥?including TRAPSat, which is focused on collecting space debris with the help of aerogel.

With TRAPSat, we want to be able to retrieve images, Weideman noted. 鈥淎nd that requires constant contact with the satellite. Normally when you鈥檙e in LEO you get 7 to 11 minutes, as it passes over you, and that鈥檚 it. And often that鈥檚 just not long enough to download the data. With enough of these stations, in theory, you could have an orbit that鈥檚 constantly in contact -- so you can push things down like photos.鈥?lt;/p>

Kerber, who worked with the antenna controller and tracking software, says the summer program experience was valuable because he鈥檒l be involved in similar activities when he returns to Brazil.

鈥淚 will be a ground station manager at my university, and this was a first try that gave me an opportunity to see what should and shouldn鈥檛 be done. With this experience, it will be easier to get a team together and make things work quickly,鈥?he said.

Categories: Space Flight Operations Training Center