You just might call this the collective work of the next generation of space researchers. Assistance and technology was also provided by the Air Force Research Lab and a small space business called One Stop Satellite Solutions. The ungainly rocket is making its debut in a new project aimed at affording small government-sponsored researchers spaceflight opportunities. The flight will give coeds, cadets and grad student researchers from Weber State University, the Air Force Academy, Stanford University and Arizona State University a taste of space experience. Even NASA has a research experiment on the flight.
Marina is the rocket s deputy project manager.
Some of them are as small as a deck of cards. That s because it will carry the satellites during their blastoff and then release them, one by one, into orbit. This new device, an attitude controller, will allow small satellites to behave in space like larger, more expensive craft. Many small satellites can t carry attitude control systems or expensive rocket thrusters to maintain precise orbits. The Weber State device is a small rotating wheel whose actions give the satellites greater stability.