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SDC

SDC. The Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (SDC). A Presentation to the National Council of Space Grant Directors. Michael T. McGrath Engineering Director Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) The University of Colorado at Boulder. SDC Project -- A New Kind of EPO.

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SDC

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  1. SDC

  2. The Venetia BurneyStudent Dust Counter (SDC) A Presentation to the National Council of Space Grant Directors Michael T. McGrath Engineering Director Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) The University of Colorado at Boulder

  3. SDC Project -- A New Kind of EPO • EPO Goal: Give students a chance to design, build, operate, & study data from a planetary flight experiment • Objective:Students have the primary responsibility for the design and development of the SDC • Science Goal: Make the first dust density & size spectrum observations beyond 18 AU • Suggested by New Horizon’s PI Dr. Alan Stern • PI Mihaly Horanyi Invited from POSSE team • Premier Opportunity on a NASA Mission • Performance Bar Incredibly High • High Visibility • For Students: • Extraordinary Education and Training Opportunity • “Once in a Lifetime” Experience

  4. Student Instruments on NASA Missions • Risk • Technical • Interface to Spacecraft System • Benign Failure Mode • Limited Interaction i.e. Power On • Programmatic • Fixed Launch Date • Academic Calendar

  5. Not Business As Usual • Educational Process • Allowance for Trial and Error Learning • Status Meetings • Cross Disciplinary Classroom • Maturing Process • Implications for Outcome • Emotional Commitment • No Tests or Grades • Extraordinary Teaching Environment • Continual Transfer of Information • Professional Staff as Teachers • Not Efficient

  6. What is SDC? Active Area of 0.1 m2 Detector Assembly (18’’ x 12’’) Electronics Box (5’’x8’’x2’’) Intra-Harness 2 Kg 5 Watts

  7. How It Works • Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) • Polarized • Pyroelectric Response • Impact Removes Material • Change in Potential • Understand Mass and Size • Difficult Measurement • Impact Event: 0.1 Nanosecond • Realistic: 0.1 Microsecond • Compromises

  8. The First Students Anselm Fernandez, Flemming Christiansen, Chelsea Bryant, Gene Holland

  9. Professional Support and SDC Organization Chart Color Key Professional Graduate Student Undergraduate Mechanical Subsystem Electrical Subsystem Software Subsystem Gail Tate Heather Reed Neil White James Mack Tom Reese Matt Colgan Beth Grogan Ervin Krauss Vaughn Hoxie Anselm Fernandez Otto Krauss Tim Chanthawanich Anselm Fernandez Principal Investigator Dr. Mihaly Horanyi Program Manager Gene Holland EPO Fran Bagenal Cori Krauss Thermal Subsystem PVDF Detector Development Bret Lamprecht Ginger Drake Gene Holland Chelsey Bryant Nick Bunch Mike Neeland At Least One LASP Professional Oversees Each Subsystem

  10. Milestones PDR 6/2003 Heidelberg tests 7/2003 CDR 10/2003 PER 6/2004 PSR 8/2004 Ship 9/2004

  11. Electronics Box Digital Board Analog Board

  12. Testing University of Chicago LASP MPI-K Heidelberg, Germany

  13. New Horizons Spacecraft at JHU/APL

  14. Why Dust and This Mission? • Interplanetary and Interstellar Dust • Knowledge Ends at Saturn • Pioneer, Cassini, Ulysses, Galileo • New Horizons Mission and Spacecraft Ideal • Stable Thermal Environment • Mission Design -- Quiet Due to Hibernation Periods • Past Experience with Project Staff

  15. When and Where

  16. Results: lasp.colorado.edu/sdc

  17. Looking Back • Professional Mentorship Model Validated • Initial Student-Directed Team Experienced Frustration • Students Excel Given Direction and Support • Technical Interface Was Quickly Developed • Concerns Were Minimized • Programmatic Interface Was Challenging • Perception of Risk Remained • New Horizons Essentially a Class A Mission • Full NASA Oversight and Reviews • Strong Emotional Commitment to Success • Passion • Institutional Commitment to Program • Financial and Programmatic Resources • Time, Attention and Direction

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