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Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
120
SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: A SCIENCE FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY
CUBESATS
The efforts by NSF’s Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Division (AGS) to support student CubeSats
have engendered an enormous amount of interest from universities and partner institutions. As of October
2011, eight CubeSat projects were underway. Launches have been scheduled (between 2011-2013) for
all but two of the projects. NASA’s ELaNA program is instrumental in obtaining launch opportunities and
serves as a model for other small-satellite projects discussed by the survey.
All of the projects have been deemed by peer review to have well-defined, important science objectives and to provide unique data sets. All involve entirely new flight hardware and carry the promise of
precedent-setting measurements. The limitations imposed by the small platforms demand a high degree of
technical innovation in terms of power, control, storage, and downlink. CubeSats provide a unique platform for technological innovation whereby technical readiness can be developed to levels appropriate for
application on larger spacecraft. Furthermore, most of the CubeSat hardware is designed, built, and tested
by student teams under faculty and professional engineering supervision. Students in fact participate in
every aspect of a CubeSat project.
Each CubeSat project requires approximately $0.4 million of funding annually. NSF is targeting a
continuous queue of six CubeSat projects, with two new starts and two launches each year. This plan will
require approximately $2.5 million of sustained annual funding. Current AGS budgets allow for approximately $1.5 million annually. There is therefore a shortfall of about $1 million per year.
The CubeSat program has clearly moved beyond its initial trial phase and has demonstrated great
success, particularly in areas of education. As described in Chapter 4 in the “Diversify” recommendations
of DRIVE, the survey committee believes that the program deserves its own line of funding at the level
necessary to sustain two starts per year. The committee also recommends specific metrics to be employed
for assessing the adequacy of the size of the program going forward. The committee is enthusiastic about
the prospects of the CubeSat program for contributing to technology development as well as basic research.
EDUCATION
Faculty and Curriculum Development
As recommended in Chapter 4 in the “Educate” component of DRIVE, the committee endorses the
continuation of the successful NSF Faculty Development in Space Sciences (FDSS) program, as well as
the development of a complementary curriculum development program. The committee also recommends
that 4-year institutions of higher education should be considered eligible for FDSS awards as a means to
further broaden and diversify the field, subject to the burden of proof that program objectives pertaining
to research education are achievable by the proposing institution. As existing FDSS awards come to term,
the program is expected to change, with new awards being staggered to avoid boom-bust faculty hiring
cycles. The number of junior faculty in the FDSS queue will likely remain the same, and so the burden on
other AGS programs will also remain constant.
Undergraduate and Graduate Training
The NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program is an excellent means to attract talented
undergraduates to the field, and the committee has endorsed it in the “Educate” component of DRIVE,
along with the various summer school offerings supported by NSF. Currently, these include the annual
Polar Aeronomy and Radio Science (PARS) summer school, the AMISR school on incoherent scatter, and
CISM. The total allocation for these schools is $200,000 per year. Additional schools take place at the
Solar and Space Physics: A Science for a Technological Society
120
SOLAR AND SPACE PHYSICS: A SCIENCE FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY
CUBESATS
The efforts by NSF’s Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Division (AGS) to support student CubeSats
have engendered an enormous amount of interest from universities and partner institutions. As of October
2011, eight CubeSat projects were underway. Launches have been scheduled (between 2011-2013) for
all but two of the projects. NASA’s ELaNA program is instrumental in obtaining launch opportunities and
serves as a model for other small-satellite projects discussed by the survey.
All of the projects have been deemed by peer review to have well-defined, important science objectives and to provide unique data sets. All involve entirely new flight hardware and carry the promise of
precedent-setting measurements. The limitations imposed by the small platforms demand a high degree of
technical innovation in terms of power, control, storage, and downlink. CubeSats provide a unique platform for technological innovation whereby technical readiness can be developed to levels appropriate for
application on larger spacecraft. Furthermore, most of the CubeSat hardware is designed, built, and tested
by student teams under faculty and professional engineering supervision. Students in fact participate in
every aspect of a CubeSat project.
Each CubeSat project requires approximately $0.4 million of funding annually. NSF is targeting a
continuous queue of six CubeSat projects, with two new starts and two launches each year. This plan will
require approximately $2.5 million of sustained annual funding. Current AGS budgets allow for approximately $1.5 million annually. There is therefore a shortfall of about $1 million per year.
The CubeSat program has clearly moved beyond its initial trial phase and has demonstrated great
success, particularly in areas of education. As described in Chapter 4 in the “Diversify” recommendations
of DRIVE, the survey committee believes that the program deserves its own line of funding at the level
necessary to sustain two starts per year. The committee also recommends specific metrics to be employed
for assessing the adequacy of the size of the program going forward. The committee is enthusiastic about
the prospects of the CubeSat program for contributing to technology development as well as basic research.
EDUCATION
Faculty and Curriculum Development
As recommended in Chapter 4 in the “Educate” component of DRIVE, the committee endorses the
continuation of the successful NSF Faculty Development in Space Sciences (FDSS) program, as well as
the development of a complementary curriculum development program. The committee also recommends
that 4-year institutions of higher education should be considered eligible for FDSS awards as a means to
further broaden and diversify the field, subject to the burden of proof that program objectives pertaining
to research education are achievable by the proposing institution. As existing FDSS awards come to term,
the program is expected to change, with new awards being staggered to avoid boom-bust faculty hiring
cycles. The number of junior faculty in the FDSS queue will likely remain the same, and so the burden on
other AGS programs will also remain constant.
Undergraduate and Graduate Training
The NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program is an excellent means to attract talented
undergraduates to the field, and the committee has endorsed it in the “Educate” component of DRIVE,
along with the various summer school offerings supported by NSF. Currently, these include the annual
Polar Aeronomy and Radio Science (PARS) summer school, the AMISR school on incoherent scatter, and
CISM. The total allocation for these schools is $200,000 per year. Additional schools take place at the