Title
Peruvian University Consortium in the QB50 project
Date Issued
01 December 2012
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
conference paper
Author(s)
Consortium P.U.
Romero J.M.C.
Gutiérrez A.
Schlueter M.
Abstract
With the development of nano-engineering and its usage for space applications universities and educational institutions worldwide have started exploring new frontiers in the field of space operations with projects called technology demonstration missions. Peruvian engineers have realized that nowadays they have the managerial and technical capabilities to demonstrate that Peruvian institutions are able to cooperate internationally working in this field. Therefore a consortium of universities from Peru envisages participating in the European project "QB50, an international network of 50 CubeSats for multi-point, in-situ measurements in the lower thermosphere and re-entry research". The first step has been successfully achieved when the organizational committee accepted the letters of interest of these universities. The task of the Peruvian team would be the provision of a satellite, based on the CubeSat standards, for launch into space and its operation while in orbit. The CubeSat will have a size of 10x10x30 cm with one functional unit providing the usual satellite functions and science units accommodating the selected payloads or sensors for upper atmosphere and re-entry research. However the Peruvian consortium would not only participate providing a 3U CubeSat but also would contribute to the program with a valuable infrastructure like a network of radio amateur and university ground stations located in the Peruvian territory. This paper will briefly describe how Peru becomes the only country in South America with 7 interested universities in joining the European project. It will also provide insight into the educational benefits while participating in such international project. The proposed satellite mission design and planning, available infrastructure and how the consortium prepares to succeed in the realization of this challenging endeavour will be discussed. © 2012 by Peruvian University Consortium, Juan Martín Canales Romero.
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Meteorología y ciencias atmosféricas Nano-tecnología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84881045723
Conference
SpaceOps 2012 Conference
Sponsor(s)
The project QB50 [2] is a European initiative, organized and coordinated by the Von Karman Institute of Brussels, Belgium. It is promoted and partly financed through the Seventh Framework Program (FP7) [3] of the European Community (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA). The purpose of this project is to launch into space a constellation of 50 nano-satellites (designed and based in the CubeSat standards) to carry out investigations and scientific measurements of the low atmosphere or Thermosphere. The nano-satellites will be launching together within a Russian rocket (Shtil-2.1) in the first half of 2015. Deployed into a 320 km orbit, the mission lifetime of individual CubeSats is estimated to be not less then three months. Due to its size we are speaking of satellites with a weight between 2 and 3 Kg.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus