So, I've designed the software to detect errors as they occur and fix the simple errors on its own. For a complicated error, it will notify someone down here for remote repair. Sakoda said the space shuttle mission that will launch the satellite is primarily to support research with the Hubble Telescope. He considered this a piece of good luck for the student satellite, since it, too, is then assigned a high-altitude orbit. He figures the satellite will remain in orbit between four and six years.
Students really gain a lot as far as getting the big picture of a space system development.
They're not just getting a master's degree in designing a filter, or software. We looked at the curriculum, and looked for something that could fill a void and get students that span across this highly inter- disciplinary type of curriculum. Students who come through our curricula will be able to fly the spacecraft. You don't get this kind of opportunity elsewhere. As for the Navy, said Hunter, which uses a lot of satellite systems, this may be the start of a new way of thinking.