STAC 2018–2019 Highlights
Space Technologies at Cal (STAC) is proud to report on a very productive year filled with engineering landmarks and achievements. Here is a brief outline of some of the highlights of the year from our STAC family!
This post only contains a brief description of all the hard work the various teams put into these moments, so please follow the links to read more about the engineering challenges and the impacts they have on future space exploration.
The Launch of our TIME I project on a Blue Origin Rocket
On Thursday, May 2nd, on NS-11 (New Shepard Mission 11), we flew our very first Interstellar Microgravity Experiment! The payload experienced an outer-space microgravity environment in which we were able to conduct a number of experiments. These included the reanimation of C. elegans, the testing of laser communication and the operation of a robotic arm. This project was one of STAC’s first and it was very moving to experience the launch and all the drama surrounding it. We are currently analysing the data from the payload and are excited for what we will be able to find. We are grateful to Dent for the opportunity to fly with Blue Origin, as well as all our sponsors who supported this amazing work. Finally, congratulations to all of the TIME I team on such a wonderful achievement!
The Third Launch of our High Altitude Balloon (HAB) Program
In the fall, the HAB team designed and manufactured a new prototype electronics core. The prototype board flew on the HAB III launch, where it collected real-time location and flight data. In addition to our redesigned electronics, we created a new, modular payload design that will allow for seamless integration of experiments into any launch. The team hopes to use a finalized version of our flight computer with this new mechanical design to help control experiments and stabilize the descent of the payload in future launches.
The Deployment of our PCBSat Project from KickSat2
After the delivery of the KickSat2 project in the Cygnus CRS-10 cargo mission to the space station aboard the Antares-230 launch vehicle, on the 17th of November, we waited a few months until the CubeSat was deployed on 13 February 2019 from the spacecrafts external deployer. Then on the 20th March the KickSat2 successfully deployed the femto satellites. This was the first STAC-made object to be flown in outer space. The vast amount of data that was collected is currently being sifted through and analysed. Please follow the link to a previous Medium post about the technology behind this achievement. We would like to thank Zac Manchester for the opportunity to collaborate on such a wonderful project.
The Second Annual Space Tech Symposium (STS2) hosted by STAC
This amazing event was attended by both industry professionals and UC Berkeley students interested in the future of the space industry. The focus was on the intersection between the space industry and other emerging industries. The panel themes were robotics in space, the earth-space services and biology in space. Speakers from a diverse set of backgrounds including NASA, Swarm Technologies, Spire and CASIS shared their thoughts on these fast-changing fields. Thank you to all our speakers and panelists and we are already looking forward to welcoming the Bay Area space community to next year’s event!
These are just a few of the many other developments that STAC played a role in over the past year, including numerous advancements in all of our projects.
These moments would not be possible without not only the financial support of our sponsors but also our industry advisors who provide valuable direction and expertise. We are sad to see the graduating class of 2019 leave us this year but look forward to hearing about all their future endeavours. Stay tuned for more updates!
If you are currently enrolled at UC Berkeley and would like to get involved with some of the exciting work going on, please visit our website for more information about how to join and look out for details about our Fall 2019 infosessions. Also like our facebook page for regular updates.
Have a question? Email execs@stac.berkeley.edu
