Applied Technology Institute is always looking for new clients, and we are always looking for new Instructors to teach their courses for us. One of the ways that ATI accomplishes these goals is to attend Space Related Conferences. ATI has a wide range of space-related short-courses that may be of interest to you or your […]
Applied Technology Institute is always looking for new clients, and we are always looking for new Instructors to teach their courses for us. One of the ways that ATI accomplishes these goals is to attend Space Related Conferences.
ATI has a wide range of space-related short-courses that may be of interest to you or your organization. You can see a listing of our Space courses here, or at ATI Space Short Courses .
Last week, representatives of ATI were working the floor at Satellite 2024 in Washington DC. It was a wonderful conference, and it was great to see lots of old friends. If you were there, and we missed you, we apologize, and would still love to talk to you.
Next week, representatives of ATI will be working the floor at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. We have been there before, and we know that it will be a great time. Although we hope to drop in on most booths to introduce ourselves, we don’t want to miss you or your organization. Call us at 619-573-0192 and we would be happy to arrange a time and place to talk while at the Symposium.
If you would like to talk with us, but will not be at Space Symposium, call anyway, and we will discuss how ATI can help your organization meet its technical training goals in 2024.
And, if you simply want to discuss the possibility of teaching for ATI, please call Bob at 410-428-9919.
Communication Satellites were first used as the sole means for intercontinental telephony. It was the first and only way that telephone calls could be placed between countries separated by the vast oceans. The introduction of fiber-optic technology in underwater submarine cables allowed an alternate means for intercontinental telephony, so there was a reduction in use […]
Communication Satellites were first used as the sole means for intercontinental telephony. It was the first and only way that telephone calls could be placed between countries separated by the vast oceans. The introduction of fiber-optic technology in underwater submarine cables allowed an alternate means for intercontinental telephony, so there was a reduction in use of communication satellites.
Communication satellites remain important today because of the large number of users and locations that are still not accessible by submarine cables. Remote islands would be one example of a place where it would not be economically feasible to run cables. Additionally, there are countries that are accessed by submarine cables, but the land line system in that country is not adequate to relay the calls to other places in that country. Ships at sea, military combatants in the field, and airplanes are also places where satellite communications remain the only way to communicate. Even places that do have access to submarine cables often have back-up systems that use satellite communications. So, satellite communications remain an important way to stay in contact, and that will remain the case in the future.
ATI is offering a course Satellite Communication Systems which should be of interest to engineers that work in this exciting area. This three-day course covers all the technology of advanced satellite communications, as well as the principles behind current state-of-the-art satellite communications equipment. New and promising technologies will be covered to develop an understanding of the major approaches, including network topologies, VSAT and IP networking over satellite.
The Satellite Communication Systems course begins in early December, so don’t waste any time registering for this ATI short course. You can learn more about the course, and register to attend, here.
As always, you can learn about the many other courses offered by ATI at www.aticourses.com .
In the past week, we have seen two extremes with respect to the exploration of the moon. We have seen despair from Russia when it’s Luna 25 Spacecraft crash-landed on the moon. And, we have seen excitement from India when it’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed on the moon. For Russia, it will be the end […]
In the past week, we have seen two extremes with respect to the exploration of the moon. We have seen despair from Russia when it’s Luna 25 Spacecraft crash-landed on the moon. And, we have seen excitement from India when it’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed on the moon. For Russia, it will be the end of the mission, and all that is left is trying to figure out what went wrong. For India, it is the start of a period of exploration with the rover that is designed to traverse the lunar surface. Both countries were hoping for the best, but it does not always work out that way. Although a serious disappointment for Russia, there are valuable lessons that will be learned, even from failure.
The Space Environment is very harsh, and any miscalculation in that environment can have very serious consequences.
Tom Zurbuchen, former NASA head of science, tweeted that no one in the industry “wishes bad onto other explorers.” He continued “We are reminded that landing on any celestial object is anything by easy and straightforward. Just because others managed to do it decades ago, does not guarantee success today.”
Although our spacecraft may have become more advanced over the decades, the space environment remains a very hostile place where anything can happen, even to more advanced spacecraft.
To learn more about how adverse interactions between the space environment and a spacecraft may lead to a degradation of spacecraft subsystem performance and possibly even loss of the spacecraft itself, consider enrolling in the upcoming 2-day ATI course Space Environment: Implications for Spacecraft Design. You can learn more about the course, and register for it here.
I could not imagine living in a house that does not have a basement. While most people would simply discard anything that doesn’t fit in the main level of their house, I simply move it to the basement. So, my basement is quite full of junk. Sometimes, I need to find something in my basement, […]
I could not imagine living in a house that does not have a basement. While most people would simply discard anything that doesn’t fit in the main level of their house, I simply move it to the basement. So, my basement is quite full of junk. Sometimes, I need to find something in my basement, and I search endlessly, and eventually give up and declare the item “missing”. In the process of searching, however, I often find things that had previously been declared “missing”. So, I have come to learn that nothing is ever “missing”, it simply is waiting for a later time to be found.
I thought about my basement when I read about a recent discovery by scientists studying data received from the James Webb Space Telescope. This telescope is the largest optical telescope in space. It’s high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments make it capable of viewing objects too distant or too faint for the Hubble Telescope. This telescope has been in space for only a little more than a year, and it is already sending back data and images that are simply amazing.
Similar to my basement adventures, scientists were recently looking for one thing using the James Webb Space Telescope, and they discovered something entirely different. NASA scientist were looking for a previously-discovered asteroid, but were unable to find it due its brightness and an offset in the telescope’s direction. While they could not see the asteroid they were looking for, they did discover another asteroid which had never been seen before. The new asteroid was very small, demonstrating that the James Webb Telescope was capable of finding asteroids smaller than anything which was previously discoverable with Hubble. The mission had been declared a failure, but was now declared a great success.
I found this story particularly interesting because in addition to reminding me of my cluttered basement, it also made me think about how many different scientists, and how many different disciplines, and how many different engineering achievements were necessary to ultimately find this asteroid. It was not a single person, or even a single team of people that got us here. Designing and building the Telescope was the first task at hand, and that required massive amounts of Systems Engineering and manufacturing expertise. Launching the Space Telescope into space with a Ariane 5 Rocket was also a huge feat, which required the skills of another team. Daily operations of the telescope and managing the data from the telescope require even more attention from a completely different set of scientists. There is huge number of people that had their hands on this discovery, and the future discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope.
To be a well-rounded scientist or engineer, one should have a basic level of understanding of each of the disciplines that contribute to his or her area of expertise. Short-Course Technical Training like what is offered by Applied Technology Institute is a great way to acquire that basic level of understanding. ATI can not replace the intensive training a scientist acquired in his or her field of expertise; there is no way a 4-day short course can substitute for a long and rigorous college education. ATI short-courses can, however, offer a way for a scientist or engineer to become more aware of the many disciplines which work in unison with their field of expertise. And, even within a scientist’s field of expertise, short-courses can help refresh certain areas of their training.
A complete list of upcoming ATI short-courses, as well a complete list of available short-courses can be found at the ATI homepage ( www.aticourses.com ). We hope to see you in an upcoming ATI short-course, or an upcoming ATI Free-Session soon.
NASA’s Psyche Mission is similar to other NASA missions in some ways, but different in other ways. Psyche is similar in that bold and innovative technologies are being used to push the boundaries of deep-space exploration. Psyche is different however, in that the launch has been pushed forward for one year due to a delay […]
NASA’s Psyche Mission is similar to other NASA missions in some ways, but different in other ways. Psyche is similar in that bold and innovative technologies are being used to push the boundaries of deep-space exploration. Psyche is different however, in that the launch has been pushed forward for one year due to a delay in critical testing. Launch of Psyche is now expected in October 2023.
Psyche will be launched from Earth using a SpaceX Heavy Falcon Rocket. This launch system has been used before, and should be effective for its purpose. Once in deep space, however, an alternate method will be required for propelling Psyche to its ultimate destination, the Comet Psyche. As explained by NASA, “The unique, metal-rich Psyche asteroid may be part of the core of a planetesimal, a building block of rocky planets in our solar system. Learning more about the asteroid could tell us more about how our own planet formed and help answer fundamental questions about Earth’s own metal core and the formation of our solar system.”
Once beyond the orbit of the moon, Psyche will use solar electric propulsion for its 1.5 billion ( with a B ) mile trip to the asteroid Psyche which will conclude in 2026. This will be the first spacecraft to use “Hall-Effect Thrusters” for propulsion. As explained by NASA, this thruster technology “traps electrons in a magnetic field and uses them to ionize onboard propellant, expending much less propellant than equivalent chemical rockets.”
As a secondary mission for this spacecraft, Psyche will be used to demonstrate and test Deep Space Optical Communications. This capability will become increasingly important as future missions are planned for areas so deep in space that current communication methods may become infeasible.
As spacecraft and space missions become more complex, the rockets that propel them will also need to become more complex. Rocket advances must keep up with Spacecraft advances, and the Psyche Mission is one indication that Rocket scientists are up to the challenge.
If you want to learn more about Rocket Science, consider taking ATI’s upcoming course on the subject. You can learn more about the course, and register for it, at Rockets & Launch Vehicles – Selection & Design
This four-day course provides an overview of rockets and missiles, including a fourth day covering advanced selection and design processes. The course provides a wide practical knowledge in rocket and missile issues and technologies.
The course is right around the corner in May, so if you are interested, register today.
And, as always, if want to see the full list of courses offered by ATI, you can find that, and other interesting information at www.aticourses.com
Mankind has always been fascinated with exploring the Moon, and that will probably always be the case. At first, in the time leading up to the famous first moon landing in 1969, the goal was simply to reach the moon, and spend a short time looking around, and return to earth safely. Now, 50 years […]
Mankind has always been fascinated with exploring the Moon, and that will probably always be the case. At first, in the time leading up to the famous first moon landing in 1969, the goal was simply to reach the moon, and spend a short time looking around, and return to earth safely. Now, 50 years later, the goal is more ambitious since technology can support so much more. The first objective today is to reach the moon, and stay there. The next goal would be to use the moon as a landing pad to support exploration of things beyond the moon, most notably Mars. The NASA Artemis Missions will be the way these objectives are accomplished.
The Artemis Mission is comprised of six projects which together will allow NASA to accomplish its goals of reaching the moon, staying on the moon for long term exploration, and getting closer to the ultimate goal of being able to send men and women beyond the moon. The six projects include:
Ground Systems – Upgrading Earth ground systems to support the larger rockets which will be needed
Space Launch System – The new and more powerful rocket that will launch man toward the moon and beyond
Orion – The spacecraft that will bring astronauts to the moon’s orbit, and return them to earth from the moon’s orbit
Gateway – The outpost spacecraft which will orbit the moon and be living quarters for the astronauts when they are not on the moon surface
Lunar Landers – The spacecraft which will transfer astronauts between the Gateway and the moon Surface, and
Space Suits – The new and improved suits that the astronauts will need to carry out their mission.
The timeline for this mission has three major milestones, namely:
Artemis I – a now-complete unmanned flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion
Artemis II – a planned manned flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion
Artemis III – A planned manned flight to the moon that will return man to the moon.
Artemis I, the mission whose goal was an unmanned flight of Orion to the moon, is now successfully completed. The Launch was flawless in mid-November, showing the advanced capabilities of the Space Launch System. Orion reached the moon on November 25 without any issues and orbited the moon. On December 1, 2022, Orion will started its trip back to earth, and on Dec 11, the Artemis I mission ended with a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.
Although Artemis I is now one for the history books, there are additional Artemis missions being planned, and we hope that they will all be as spectacular and as successful as Artemis I.
ATI offers a plethora of courses which relate to Space exploration. Check out our list of Space related courses here. If you are interested in the legal aspects of Space exploration, you can express interest in our Astropolitics Seminar which will be offered in conjunction with the 2023 Space Symposium.
Although the author thinks Space Exploration is exciting and important, and I fully endorse all of the goals of the Artemis Mission, I can’t help but wonder why the Government is not spending at least as much money on exploration of the deep oceans. I would challenge the US to start investing more money in Ocean Exploration, but not at the expense of Space Exploration. Both are important. I am curious what readers think about this issue, please leave your comments below.
And, if you are interested in Ocean Exploration, ATI has a few courses which may be of interest to you too. Please check out our full list of offerings here.
And if you simply want to learn more about the Artemis Mission, you can go to the NASA Artemis site that describes the mission in more detail.
Mankind has always been fascinated with exploring the Moon, and that will probably always be the case. At first, in the time leading up to the famous first moon landing in 1969, the goal was simply to reach the moon, and spend a short time looking around, and return to earth safely. Now, 50 years […]
Mankind has always been fascinated with exploring the Moon, and that will probably always be the case. At first, in the time leading up to the famous first moon landing in 1969, the goal was simply to reach the moon, and spend a short time looking around, and return to earth safely. Now, 50 years later, the goal is more ambitious since technology can support so much more. The first objective today is to reach the moon, and stay there. The next goal would be to use the moon as a landing pad to support exploration of things beyond the moon, most notably Mars. The NASA Artemis Missions will be the way these objectives are accomplished.
The Artemis Mission is comprised of six projects which together will allow NASA to accomplish its goals of reaching the moon, staying on the moon for long term exploration, and getting closer to the ultimate goal of being able to send men and women beyond the moon. The six projects include:
Ground Systems – Upgrading Earth ground systems to support the larger rockets which will be needed
Space Launch System – The new and more powerful rocket that will launch man toward the moon and beyond
Orion – The spacecraft that will bring astronauts to the moon’s orbit, and return them to earth from the moon’s orbit
Gateway – The outpost spacecraft which will orbit the moon and be living quarters for the astronauts when they are not on the moon surface
Lunar Landers – The spacecraft which will transfer astronauts between the Gateway and the moon Surface, and
Space Suits – The new and improved suits that the astronauts will need to carry out their mission.
The timeline for this mission has three major milestones, namely:
Artemis I – an unmanned flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion
Artemis II – a manned flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion
Artemis III – A manned flight to the moon that will return man to the moon.
Artemis I, the mission whose goal was an unmanned flight of Orion to the moon, is now in progress. So far, the mission has been wildly successful. The Launch was flawless in mid-November, showing the advanced capabilities of the Space Launch System. Orion reached the moon on November 25 without any issues and has been orbiting the moon since then. On December 1, 2022, Orion will start its trip back to earth.
As of December 1, 5681 pounds of propellant have been used, a bit less than scientists had expected.
The trip back to earth will have include more tests than had originally been planned, and indication that NASA scientists are feeling good about the trip.
This is a truly ambitious mission, and an even more ambitious schedule for missions that follow.
ATI offers a plethora of courses which relate to Space exploration. Check out our list of Space related courses here. If you are interested in the legal aspects of Space exploration, you can express interest in our Astropolitics Seminar which will be offered in conjunction with the 2023 Space Symposium.
Although the author thinks Space Exploration is exciting and important, and I fully endorse all of the goals of the Artemis Mission, I can’t help but wonder why the Government is not spending at least as much money on exploration of the deep oceans. I would challenge the US to start investing more money in Ocean Exploration, but not at the expense of Space Exploration. Both are important. I am curious what readers think about this issue, please leave your comments below.
And, if you are interested in Ocean Exploration, ATI has a few courses which may be of interest to you too. Please check out our full list of offerings here.
And if you simply want to learn more about the Artemis Mission, you can go to the NASA Artemis site that describes the mission in more detail.
Most people know what Origami is. In case you don’t, the goal of Origami is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. Modern origami practitioners generally discourage the use of cuts, glue, or markings on the paper. So, you ask, how could Origami possibly be […]
Most people know what Origami is. In case you don’t, the goal of Origami is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. Modern origami practitioners generally discourage the use of cuts, glue, or markings on the paper. So, you ask, how could Origami possibly be related to anything of interest to rocket scientists? As you will see, there most certainly is a connection between Origami and Antenna technology.
CubeSat is a miniaturized satellite, or nanosatellite, intended for space research. Due to their small size, large numbers of CubeSats generally perform their unique tasks by working together in large constellations. To date, there are about 1500 CubeSat satellites in orbit.
Although technology advances have allowed satellites to be effectively miniaturized, the antenna associated with each CubeSat can not be miniaturized; the laws of physics simply do not permit the antenna to be any smaller than it is. And, since the antenna must remain large, it would not fit in the small area inside the miniature satellite. Since the antenna is necessary to allow the satellite to communicate with other satellites, and with earth stations, there needed to be a way to get the large antenna into the small satellite.
As explained here, Dr. Kim and his colleagues at Pusan National University and the University of Alabama, USA, developed a new deployable antenna for CubeSats. Inspired by the mathematics which are the root of Origami, the team designed an antenna which could be folded and stored inside the Cubesat. Once in orbit, the antenna would be deployed, and unfolded to its full and functional size. This new advance in Antenna design now allows nanosatellites to be part of our satellite fleet.
So, although many may have thought that antenna design could not be pushed any further, Dr. Kim proved them wrong. What other previously unimagined advances in antenna technology are yet to be imagined?
To learn more about Antennas, consider taking the upcoming ATI course entitled Antenna and Array Fundamentals. You can learn more about this offering, and register, here.
Lastly, as always, a full listing of ATI’s courses can be found here.
Clearly, since satellites operate in space, earth stations must be able to communicate with them, and they must be able to communicate with earth stations. Without this ability to communicate, the satellite would be of no practical use to scientists and engineers. Similarly, people must be able to communicate with each other on earth. Telephone […]
Clearly, since satellites operate in space, earth stations must be able to communicate with them, and they must be able to communicate with earth stations. Without this ability to communicate, the satellite would be of no practical use to scientists and engineers.
Similarly, people must be able to communicate with each other on earth. Telephone communications generally occur with cell phones that use land-based towers to transmit and receive data. When we need to communicate from a remote location like the middle of the desert or the middle of the ocean, there will likely be no towers to support these communications; we must rely on satellite phones to relay data through satellites. Again, there must be a way to communicate with the satellites, and then between satellites.
Satellite Communications are essential in today’s world, and a working knowledge of Satellite Communications is essential to any engineer working in this field. ATI is offering a courseSatellite Communications Design and Engineering in November, and again in February, to teach you what you need to know. This three-day course is designed as a practical course for practicing engineers, and is intended for communications engineers, spacecraft engineers, managers and technical professionals who want both the “big picture” and a fundamental understanding of satellite communications. You can learn more about the course, and register for it at the link found above.
And, as always, if you want to see the full set of courses offered at ATI, please visit us at www.aticourses.com.
It is so exciting that we are going back to the moon. NASA is planning a bold set of missions. Although one of the missions will visit the moon again, the ultimate goals are much more far-reaching. The intent is to learn from the moon visit and apply knowledge to future manned missions which will […]
It is so exciting that we are going back to the moon. NASA is planning a bold set of missions. Although one of the missions will visit the moon again, the ultimate goals are much more far-reaching. The intent is to learn from the moon visit and apply knowledge to future manned missions which will visit places far beyond the moon.
We are only one month until the Artemis I mission. For this first mission, the uncrewed Orion Spacecraft will spend four to six weeks in Space, and go far beyond the moon. To do this, a very powerful rocket is needed to accelerate an Orion spacecraft fast enough to overcome the pull of Earth’s gravity. This will be accomplished by NASA’s Space Launch System Rocket. This is the most powerful rocket ever used by NASA, generating 8.8 million pounds of thrust.
As spacecraft and space missions become more complex, the rockets that propel them will also need to become more complex. Rocket advances must keep up with Spacecraft advances, and the Space Launch System is one indication that Rocket scientists are up to the challenge.
If you want to learn more about Rocket Science, consider taking ATI’s upcoming course on the subject. You can learn more about the course, and register for it, at Rockets & Launch Vehicles – Selection & Design
This four-day course provides an overview of rockets and missiles, including a fourth day covering advanced selection and design processes. The course provides a wide practical knowledge in rocket and missile issues and technologies.
The course is right around the corner in August, so if you are interested, do not delay.
And, as always, if want to see the full list of courses offered by ATI, you can find that, and other interesting information at www.aticourses.com
Since ATI has offered a course called Astropolitics for many years, and since our Astropolitics instructor is a noted expert in his field, and since we have an upcoming offering of Astropolitics, it only seemed natural that I, the new Science Advisor for ATI, should figure out “What the Heck is Astropolitics?” Most of the […]
Since ATI has offered a course called Astropolitics for many years, and since our Astropolitics instructor is a noted expert in his field, and since we have an upcoming offering of Astropolitics, it only seemed natural that I, the new Science Advisor for ATI, should figure out “What the Heck is Astropolitics?”
Most of the definitions found on the internet seem to say that Astropolitics is the theory and study of the effects that Space has on politics. Seemingly, any political decision by any country which involves Space issues or Space implications would fall under Astropolitics.
Astropolitics includes topics such as International Space Treaties, Space Law, International Conflict in Space Exploration, and International Space Economics. The one topic addressed by Astropolitics which the author finds most compelling is the political impact of any contact which may someday occur with extraterrestrial intelligence. That’s right, the body that conceived of and defined the field of Astropolitics actually considered the possibility that mankind may someday discover intelligent life someplace besides earth. As an editorial note, the author of this blog finds this inclusion to be compelling, because of his firm belief that intelligent extraterrestrial life does exist elsewhere, although it may not be discovered in our lifetime, or forever, for that matter (and I certainly do not believe these lifeforms have ever visited earth, yet.) Although there is no currently accepted doctrine for how countries will react to the discovery of extraterrestrial life, there are ongoing efforts by multiple countries to develop a set of structured rules, standards, guidelines, or actions that governmental entities plan to follow in the event of confirmed signals form extraterrestrial civilizations. Perhaps there are even Astropolitics discussions occurring today in some extraterrestrial civilization. Of note, extraterrestrials are always welcome to attend ATI courses if they have a way to travel to live classes, log into virtual classes, and pay with earth currency.
For many ATI courses, including our upcoming Astropolitics Course, potential students have the opportunity to attend a free one-hour virtual short-session. This is an opportunity for students to learn more about what will be covered in the course, and meet the instructor. Even if you have no intention of taking the full course, you may find the Free session informative, and you may even change your mind about attending the full course. You can learn more about both the Astropolitics Free Session, and Astropolitics – ATI Courses at these links. While there, you will also be able to register for the Free Session or the Class, or both.
And, as always, you can learn about the full set of courses offered by ATI at www.aticourses.com
Most people do not need to use a satellite to connect to the internet; they connect through wi-fi that is readily available in most urban places. If you are in a remote location, however, you may need to connect to the internet, and Satellite Communications may be your only option. These kinds of remote connections […]
Most people do not need to use a satellite to connect to the internet; they connect through wi-fi that is readily available in most urban places. If you are in a remote location, however, you may need to connect to the internet, and Satellite Communications may be your only option. These kinds of remote connections are becoming increasingly important as continuous reliable internet connectivity becomes critical for many operations.
A collection of physical devices each of which contain sensors and software, each of which are connected to the internet, and can communicate with each other via the internet, to provide some service with wide area coverage, is referred to as in Internet of Things ( IOT.) IOTs are becoming increasingly powerful and important. Some examples of IOTs are connected appliances, smart home security systems, autonomous farm equipment, and wireless inventory trackers. Each of these examples rely on the fact that each physical device in the IOT is continuously reliably connected to the internet.
Sometimes, devices which comprise an IOT are in a remote area, and cannot be connected to wi-fi networks often taken for granted. For example, autonomous farm equipment is typically operating on large farms which are outside of the range of wi-fi. Wireless inventory trackers are often on merchant ships traveling between ports in ocean areas that do not have wi-fi connectivity. In these cases, it is critical that the devices be able to connect to the internet using satellite communications.
So, many practicing engineers need to be familiar with Satellite Communications.
ATI offers a course called Satellite Communications Design and Engineering. This three-day course is designed as a practical course for practicing engineers, and is intended for communications engineers, spacecraft engineers, managers and technical professionals who want both the “big picture” and a fundamental understanding of satellite communications. The course is technically oriented and includes examples from real-world satellite communications systems. It will enable participants to understand the key drivers in satellite link design and to perform their own satellite link budget calculations. The course will especially appeal to those whose objective is to develop quantitative computational skills in addition to obtaining a qualitative familiarity with the basic concepts. You can learn more about this course, and register here.
And, as always, you can learn about the full set of courses offered by ATI at www.aticourses.com
Optical Communications Systems may sound very complicated, and they certainly can be very complicated, but they don’t have to be. Think back to when you were a kid and you developed a system with your buddy who lived across the street. You would blink your flashlight in the window two times to indicate that you […]
Optical Communications Systems may sound very complicated, and they certainly can be very complicated, but they don’t have to be.
Think back to when you were a kid and you developed a system with your buddy who lived across the street. You would blink your flashlight in the window two times to indicate that you were still awake, and your buddy might blink his flashlight two times to indicate that he was too. This was an Optical Communication System in its most basic form.
As a Boy Scout, you may have learned to communicate with other scouts using two semaphore flags. You could certainly relay more information than you did using flashlights in the window, but it was still a very basic Optical Communication System with many limitations.
Optical Communications simply refers to relaying information a distance using light to carry the information. It can be performed visually, as in the two previous examples, or by using electronic devices. Clearly, using electronic devices is more complex, and a more powerful way to communicate.
Typically, an optical communication system will include three components. The Transmitter encodes the message into an optical signal. The Channel carries the signal to its destination. And, finally, the receiver which reproduces the original message.
The are two types of channels that can be used in a modern complex optical communication system. Fiber optic cables can relay messages from the transmitter to the receiver, or, the message can be relayed on a laser beam. Clearly, using a laser beam to channel the message is more conducive to long distance transmission, or transmission that needs to occur in free space.
Optical Comms Systems have advantages over RF and Microwave Comms Systems due to their directionality, and high frequency carrier. These properties can lead to greater covertness, freedom from jamming, and potentially much higher data rates.
If you want to learn more, ATI offers Optical Communications Systems. The course provides a strong foundation for selecting, designing and building either a Free Space Optical Comms, or Fiber-Optic Comms System for various applications. Course includes both DoD and Commercial systems, in Space, Atmospheric, Underground, and Underwater Applications. You can learn more about this course, and register for it here.
And, as always, you can learn about the full set of courses offered by ATI at www.aticourses.com
Just imagine the communication that occurs between a satellite orbiting the earth and the receiving station on earth. Clearly, in order for that communication to be successful, the signal needs to be received at the earth station with enough SNR (signal to noise ratio) for the signal to be intelligently received and acted upon at […]
Just imagine the communication that occurs between a satellite orbiting the earth and the receiving station on earth.
Clearly, in order for that communication to be successful, the signal needs to be received at the earth station with enough SNR (signal to noise ratio) for the signal to be intelligently received and acted upon at the earth station.
In order for the Satellite designers and the Earth Station designers to do their jobs, they must work together to ensure that transmitting satellite transmits with enough power for the receiving station/dish to understand the signal. This would be simple if we could assume that the receiving dish receives all of the power that the satellite transmits, but that would not be a good assumption. There are various things encountered by the signal during its trip between the satellite and the receiving station which each reduce the power of the signal by a small amount. The transmitter must know how much its transmission will be reduced by all of those things, and account for those losses by boosting transmitting power by that amount so that a reduced received power will still be sufficient for the receiving station to get sufficient SNR in the signal.
A Satellite Link Budget is an accounting of all of the gains and looses that signal will experience in space between a transmitter and a receiver.
So, what are the things that may increase or decrease the power of a signal during its journey between a transmitter and a receiver?
Rain is one example of something that reduces the power contained in the signal. A designer must assume that it will always be raining during the transmission, or they will end up with a system which is only effective on non-rainy days. This would not be a good design.
The easiest way to account for gains and losses is with a proven computer tool like SatMaster from Arrowe. Rain models from the ITU (International Telecommunications Union) provide a viable methodology for assessing rain attenuation in microwave and millimeter wave bands.
And, what are some of the other things that will reduce transmitted power? These are all great questions, beyond the scope of this blog.
If you design transmitters, or if you design receivers, or if you simply want to learn more about Satellite Link Budgets, consider taking the upcoming ATI course Satellite Link Budget Training on the Personal Computer – GEO and non-GEO, L through Q/V bands. You can learn more about this course and register to attend the course here.
As I stare into the night sky, I sometimes find myself thinking about how vast the universe is. Sometimes, while thinking about where space ends, or the fact that space never ends, I start to feel very uneasy. Regardless, I will blog about it, but I am not happy about it. There are currently only […]
As I stare into the night sky, I sometimes find myself thinking about how vast the universe is. Sometimes, while thinking about where space ends, or the fact that space never ends, I start to feel very uneasy. Regardless, I will blog about it, but I am not happy about it.
There are currently only 5 Planetary Probes which have left the solar system, and are continuing on their path to the infinite unknown. Each of these probes were launched into interstellar space by a multistage rocket, and the final stage of each rocket is also on a similar path to the unknown, but these rocket parts are merely space junk now, and we will not discuss those here.
Pioneer 10 was the first Planetary Probe launched in 1972. We have not had contact with Pioneer 10 since 2003, but before loosing contact, we saw it pass Jupiter, and it is now presumably heading toward a star in the constellation of Taurus.
Pioneer 11 was launched the following year in 1973. We have not had contact with Pioneer 11 since 1995, but before loosing contact, we saw it pass Jupiter, and Saturn. Pioneer 11 will arrive at its target in the constellation of Sagittarius in 4 million years.
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were both launched in 1977. They both remain active and send data to earth. They left the solar system in 2012 and 2018, respectively.
The last Planetary Probe to leave the Solar System was New Horizons, launched in 2006. New Horizons remained active as it passed Pluto and returned imagery in 2015. New Horizons still remains active and is continues sending scientific data to earth.
It is truly remarkable that mankind has sent probes so far into space, and even more amazing that some of these probes are still returning data to earth.
These feats would not have been possible without exceptional rockets, and exceptional rocket scientists.
To learn more about Rocket Propulsion, or to sharpen your skills as a Rocket Scientist, consider taking one of ATI’s upcoming courses on the topic.
Although 2021 has not been such a bad year so far, after a year like 2020, we sometimes ask ourselves … “what else could possibly go wrong?” Thanks to movies like Armageddon, Don’t Look Up, Deep Impact, Ice Age, and others, we can again sleep restlessly knowing that Earth could be annihilated at any moment […]
Although 2021 has not been such a bad year so far, after a year like 2020, we sometimes ask ourselves … “what else could possibly go wrong?” Thanks to movies like Armageddon, Don’t Look Up, Deep Impact, Ice Age, and others, we can again sleep restlessly knowing that Earth could be annihilated at any moment by an asteroid impact. Although an asteroid impact is often thought of as science fiction, it is something that can actually happen. In fact, many believe that the extinction of dinosaurs was the result of an ancient asteroid impact. Although it is not something that we ever expect to see in our lifetime, the possibility of an impact in the distant future cannot be ruled out. Consequently, scientists are already thinking about what we would do if we were ever faced with that scenario for real.
So, what’s the first step?
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test ( DART ) Mission is being developed and lead for NASA by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. A full description of the Mission can be found here. The DART mission is NASA’s demonstration of kinetic impactor technology impacting an asteroid to adjust its speed and path. Mission literature goes to extreme lengths to assure the public that this particular asteroid is NOT on a path to earth, and that this impact will not cause the asteroid to take aim on earth. It is simply a demonstration of our ability to take action in the event that earth is ever threatened.
DART arrives at the asteroid in October of 2022. I am sure we will hear more about the Mission at that time, and we will devote another blog to DART at that time also.
A mission like this involves so many of the skills that are taught in ATI’s courses related to Space and Systems Engineering. Please take a look at our courses here, and see what courses may be helpful to you and your team, so that you can be a contributor in future space missions that have such a huge impact, no pun intended.
On September 15, a SPACEX rocket ship launched four people into earth’s orbit. The purpose of this blog is not to share all the amazing facts; if you want to read them, you can do it here. Yes, there has been a lot of space trips going on lately, but I think this one is […]
On September 15, a SPACEX rocket ship launched four people into earth’s orbit. The purpose of this blog is not to share all the amazing facts; if you want to read them, you can do it here. Yes, there has been a lot of space trips going on lately, but I think this one is different for a number of reasons.
First of all, the crew of this mission are all amateur astronauts. Each of the astronauts have a reason for wanting to fly this mission, but the reasons seem to be more philanthropic than with recent space trips. In fact, the financier for this mission was Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of a financial services firm. He financed this mission to raise awareness and donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Secondly, these astronauts are going to be spending days in orbit, not minutes. The mission will last three days, from launch to splashdown. For other missions, the goal for the astronauts was to simply check a box that said they entered space, for however brief a period. For SPACEX, there was actually work done while in space.
Lastly, this mission will orbit at 363 miles above the earth, far higher than previous space trips. In fact, for one of the previous space trips, it has been questioned whether or not the capsule even reached what is accepted as “space.”
This mission, still in progress at the time of this writing, is shaping up to be really spectacular.
ATI offers many courses related to Space exploration. You can see our course list here.
And, as always, a full listing of ATI’s courses can be found here.
Most people know what Origami is. In case you don’t, the goal of Origami is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. Modern origami practitioners generally discourage the use of cuts, glue, or markings on the paper. So, you ask, how could Origami possibly be […]
Most people know what Origami is. In case you don’t, the goal of Origami is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. Modern origami practitioners generally discourage the use of cuts, glue, or markings on the paper. So, you ask, how could Origami possibly be related to anything of interest to rocket scientists? As you will see, there most certainly is a connection between Origami and Antenna technology.
CubeSat is a miniaturized satellite, or nanosatellite, intended for space research. Due to their small size, large numbers of CubeSats generally perform their unique tasks by working together in large constellations. To date, there are about 1500 CubeSat satellites in orbit.
Although technology advances have allowed satellites to be effectively miniaturized, the antenna associated with each CubeSat can not be miniaturized; the laws of physics simply do not permit the antenna to be any smaller than it is. And, since the antenna must remain large, it would not fit in the small area inside the miniature satellite. Since the antenna is necessary to allow the satellite to communicate with other satellites, and with earth stations, there needed to be a way to get the large antenna into the small satellite.
As explained here, Dr. Kim and his colleagues at Pusan National University and the University of Alabama, USA, developed a new deployable antenna for CubeSats. Inspired by the mathematics which are the root of Origami, the team designed an antenna which could be folded and stored inside the Cubesat. Once in orbit, the antenna would be deployed, and unfolded to its full and functional size. This new advance in Antenna design now allows nanosatellites to be part of our satellite fleet.
So, although many may have thought that antenna design could not be pushed any further, Dr. Kim proved them wrong. What other previously unimagined advances in antenna technology are yet to be imagined?
To learn more about Antennas, consider taking the upcoming ATI course entitled Antenna and Array Fundamentals. You can learn more about this offering, and register, here.
Lastly, as always, a full listing of ATI’s courses can be found here.
Leading by example, that is one of the things that I admire most. Leading people on, that is something I do not like at all. So, you may be asking, where am I going with this blog? I am glad you asked. I have been active in STEM recruiting for many years. I have always […]
Leading by example, that is one of the things that I admire most.
Leading people on, that is something I do not like at all.
So, you may be asking, where am I going with this blog? I am glad you asked.
I have been active in STEM recruiting for many years. I have always been of the belief that Science and Engineering stands to benefit immensely by having a diverse work force. For that reason, I believe that it is important that smart and enthusiastic people be attracted to, and recruited by, the STEM workforce. This should include males and females, young and old, minorities and non-minorities, democrats and republicans, straight and gay, I could go on and on. But we must find people who are joining the STEM workforce for the right reasons. I do not believe that anyone, regardless of their demographics, should be encouraged to enter the STEM workforce solely because jobs are plentiful or salaries are high. To recruit someone using only these enticements would simply be “leading them on.” It would set those individuals up for unhappiness and failure, and that would be wrong. STEM workers need to love STEM, and find a job which allows them to love working in STEM. A better way for recruiting a diverse STEM workforce would be for a STEM professional from one of the underrepresented groups “leading by example”, thus showing other members of that underrepresented group that STEM careers can be fun and rewarding as well as profitable.
I recently learned about Abagail Harrison, also known as Astronaut Abby. She is a young STEM professional from an underrepresented group, and she is effectively leading by example. She generally does not call attention to the fact that she is a well-paid woman in STEM, but rather, she simply shows her excitement and her achievements in STEM, and thus becomes a role model that similar underrepresented people can aspire to, if, and only if, they are attracted to work in the STEM field. Take a look at her Mars Generation Page, and you will see what I mean.
So, what can a Technical Training company do to increase diversity in the STEM workforce? We can continue to track our statistics, and watch to see if the situation is improving. We look forward to a day in the future when the efforts of people like Abagail Harrison will result in a more diverse STEM workforce, a more diverse set of potential Instructors, and a more diverse Student pool. When that day comes, ATI will be blessed with the opportunity to have more underrepresented Instructors, and more underrepresented students.
In the meantime, please support businesses like ours that are making every effort to see more diversity in the STEM workforce. To learn more about Applied Technology Institute, or to register for one of our courses, or to register for one of our free short courses, please visit us at www.ATIcourses.com.
Mankind has always been fascinated with exploring the Moon, and that will probably always be the case. At first, in the time leading up to the famous first moon landing in 1969, the goal was simply to reach the moon, and spend a short time looking around, and return to earth safely. Now, 50 years […]
Mankind has always been fascinated with exploring the Moon, and that will probably always be the case. At first, in the time leading up to the famous first moon landing in 1969, the goal was simply to reach the moon, and spend a short time looking around, and return to earth safely. Now, 50 years later, the goal is more ambitious since technology can support so much more. The first objective today is to reach the moon, and stay there. The next goal would be to use the moon as a landing pad to support exploration of things beyond the moon, most notably Mars. The NASA Artemis Missions will be the way these objectives are accomplished. I am not sure about you, but this mission snuck up on me, and I am learning about it now.
The Artemis Mission is comprised of six projects which together will allow NASA to accomplish its goals of reaching the moon, staying on the moon for long term exploration, and getting closer to ultimate goal of being able to send men (and women) beyond the moon. The six projects include:
Ground Systems – Upgrading Earth ground systems to support the larger rockets which will be needed
Space Launch System – The new and more powerful rocket that will launch man toward the moon and beyond
Orion – The spacecraft that will bring astronauts to the moon’s orbit, and return them to earth from the moon’s orbit
Gateway – The outpost spacecraft which will orbit the moon and be living quarters for the astronauts when they are not on the moon surface
Lunar Landers – The spacecraft which will transfer astronauts between the Gateway and the moon Surface, and
Space Suits – The new and improved suits that the astronauts will need to carry out their mission.
The timeline for this mission has three major milestones, namely, the three Artemis missions, Artemis I, Artemis II, and Artemis III.
Artemis I – an unmanned flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion, scheduled for 2021
Artemis II – a manned flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion, scheduled for 2022
Artemis III – A manned flight to the moon that will return man to the moon.
This is a truly ambitious mission, and an even more ambitious schedule.
ATI offers a plethora of courses which relate to Space exploration. Check out our list of Space related courses here. If you are interested in the legal aspects of Space exploration, you can register for our upcoming Astropolitics class here.
Although the author thinks Space Exploration is exciting and important, and I fully endorse all of the goals of the Artemis Mission, I can’t help but wonder why the Government is not spending at least as much money on exploration of the deep oceans. I would challenge the US to start investing more money in Ocean Exploration, but not at the expense of Space Exploration. Both of these are important. I am curious what readers think about this issue, please leave your comments below.
And, if you are interested in Ocean Exploration, ATI has a few courses which may be of interest to you too. Please check out our full list of offerings here.
And if you simply want to learn more about the Artemis Mission, you can go to the NASA Artemis site that describes the mission in more detail.
There is a new record for the most spacecraft launched by a single rocket at one time. In January, The Transporter-1 mission, part of SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program, lifted off atop a Falcon 9 booster from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida with 143 satellites aboard. Among the satellites […]
There is a new record for the most spacecraft launched by a single rocket at one time. In January, The Transporter-1 mission, part of SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program, lifted off atop a Falcon 9 booster from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida with 143 satellites aboard. Among the satellites in the payload, 10 SpaceX STARLINK satellites, which will be added to a constellation which will provide a global internet system.
Additional details on upcoming SPACEX Launches can also be found at this site.
To learn more about Space Missions like these, please consider taking one of the many Space Courses offered virtually at this time by Applied Technology Institute.
Since it has been 50 years since man first stepped on the Moon (Apollo 11), and since we are now winding down from the celebration of the 50th anniversary of that great event, we should remember that there are still physical remnants of that mission, and other missions, which remain on the surface of the […]
Since it has
been 50 years since man first stepped on the Moon (Apollo 11), and since we are
now winding down from the celebration of the 50th anniversary of
that great event, we should remember that there are still physical remnants of
that mission, and other missions, which remain on the surface of the moon, and
that this landing site, and similar landing sites, have significant historical
importance. In fact, there is an
organization called “For All Moonkind, Inc”, which has a stated mission to “protect
each of the six human lunar landing and similar sites in outer space as part of
our common human heritage.” Learn more
about this organization at https://www.forallmoonkind.org
So, what did
mankind leave on the moon, and why did we leave it there? A full catalog of items left behind can be
found at https://history.nasa.gov/FINAL%20Catalogue%20of%20Manmade%20Material%20on%20the%20Moon.pdf
It is a fascinating read, but why was so much left behind? Some of the things left behind were memorial
or tributary items. Other items were left
purely to lighten the load and facilitate the return trip to earth. And there were items left for scientific
experiments. For experiments, some items
were left because engineers are simply hoping to examine them in the future to
determine how they have fared after continuous exposure to the elevated
radiation levels on the moon. Other
items, however, were part of actual moon experiments which delivered data to
earth scientists. The only remaining
Apollo experiment that still returns data to earth after 50 years is NASA’s
Lunar Ranging Experiment, LURE.
The story of LURE is a fascinating one and can
be found at https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-institute/ieee-history/one-apollo-11-experiment-is-still-going-50-years-later
LURE allows the precise measurement of the distance from the earth to
the moon using high power laser on earth, and an array of mirrors, or
retroreflectors, on the surface of the moon.
The first mirrors were placed on the moon by Apollo 11, but additional
mirrors were placed on the moon by later Apollo missions. Lunar laser ranging has allowed man to
monitor the distance to the moon for the past 50 years, and we have noted that
the distance to the moon increases by a very small amount each year. Additionally, LURE has increased mankind’s
fundamental understanding of things like the earth’s rotations, continental
drift, and gravity itself.
As it is now
2019, and the world is more waste-conscious than it has ever been, we can only
hope that there will be increased attention to reducing the amount we leave on
the lunar surface, and in space.
Although some material will certainly be left during upcoming planned lunar
landings, we can only hope that it will be done for rational reasons, and in a
sensible way.
To learn more about working in Space, consider taking one of the many Space, Satellite, or Aerospace courses offered by ATI. A complete listing of all ATI courses can be found at https://aticourses.com/courses ATI does not currently offer any Space Archeology classes, but if anyone knows a qualified instructor for this class, we would be happy to talk to them.
There are currently 5 branches of the Armed Forces, namely, Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. However, in light of changing needs and priorities, President Trump issued a new directive in February to establish the US Space Force as the sixth military branch, which will be within the Department of the Air […]
There are currently 5 branches of the Armed Forces, namely, Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. However, in light of changing needs and priorities, President Trump issued a new directive in February to establish the US Space Force as the sixth military branch, which will be within the Department of the Air Force.
The directive states that “ Although United States space systems have historically maintained a technological advantage over those of our potential adversaries, those potential adversaries are now advancing their space capabilities and actively developing ways to deny our use of space in a crisis or conflict. It is imperative that the United States adapt its national security organizations, policies, doctrine, and capabilities to deter aggression and protect our interests.”
The directive provides the following priorities for the Space Force:
(a) Protecting the Nation’s interests in space and the peaceful use of space for all responsible actors, consistent with applicable law, including international law;
(b) Ensuring unfettered use of space for United States national security purposes, the United States economy, and United States persons, partners, and allies;
(c) Deterring aggression and defending the Nation, United States allies, and United States interests from hostile acts in and from space;
(d) Ensuring that needed space capabilities are integrated and available to all United States Combatant Commands;
(e) Projecting military power in, from, and to space in support of our Nation’s interests; and
(f) Developing, maintaining, and improving a community of professionals focused on the national security demands of the space domain.
The directive specifies that Space Force will be lead by a civilian to be known as the Undersecretary of the Air Force for Space, and will be appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. The directive specifies that a senior military officer ( General or Admiral ) will serve as the Chief of Staff of the Space Force, and will serve as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Applied Technology Institute looks forward to providing training to the workforce which will be needed to support the US Space Force.
A list of all the Space Related Courses offered by ATI can be found at
If your organization requires Space-Related Training which you do not currently see in our Course Offerings, please give us a call and we will try to accommodate your needs.
There are so many Space Exploration Missions that are on the front page of the papers now, New Horizons for example. Let us not forget about ongoing missions that are no longer getting as much publicity at they may deserve, JPL Mars Science Lab Curiosity Rover Mission for example.The Curiosity Rover Mission was launched in […]
There are so many Space Exploration Missions that are on the front page of the papers now, New Horizons for example. Let us not forget about ongoing missions that are no longer getting as much publicity at they may deserve, JPL Mars Science Lab Curiosity Rover Mission for example.
The Curiosity Rover Mission was launched in November 2011 for an 8-month trip to Mars. Once on Mars, the Curiosity Mission was expected to last 2 years. Amazingly, the Curiosity Rover Mission is still in progress, and periodic updates on the status of that mission are still being posted at https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/mars-rover-curiosity-mission-updates/
The success of that mission did not start when the Rover started sending back amazing pictures from Mars. The success of that mission started when the Rocket and Launch Vehicle propelled Rover into Space. The Atlas V-541 Rocket selected for this mission and built by Boeing Corp and Lockheed Martin Corp. performed as designed. If it had not performed as well as it did, the entire mission could have been in jeopardy. Rockets and Launch Vehicles are truly acritical component of every mission.
ATI is offering a Course on Rocket and Launch Vehicles in Columbia, Maryland from February 11 to 14, 2019. The course is being taught by Edward Keith, a multi-discipline Launch Vehicle System Engineer, specializing in integration of launch vehicle technology, design, modeling and business strategies. There is still time to enroll in this class, and you will be finished in time to get home for dinner on Valentine’s day!
Speaking for myself, I always considered the nuclear triad to include bombers, submarines, and missiles, but, I was wrong. Sandra Erwin points out in her Space News article, we really need to remember that these three components of the triad could not be effective without two other complimentary components, a competent work force to operate […]
Speaking for myself, I always considered the nuclear triad to include bombers, submarines, and missiles, but, I was wrong. Sandra Erwin points out in her Space News article, we really need to remember that these three components of the triad could not be effective without two other complimentary components, a competent work force to operate them, and a modern and reliable Nuclear Command, Control and Communications ( NC3 ) network.
Lt. Gen Jack Weinstein, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration recently pointed out that nuclear modernization efforts cannot be strictly focused on subs, bombers, and missiles, but must also be concerned about modernizing the NC3 system, causing him to remark “The Triad also means space capability.” The Nuclear Posture Review reported that many of the components of the current NC3 system are antiquated technology which has not been modernized in almost 30 years.
Sandra Erwin reports that the Air Force does have programs under way to modernize communications and early-warning satellites, but integration of these new systems will be very complex, and highly trained work force will be needed to build the systems.
Interestingly, Lt. Gen Weinstein has confidence in the military’s ability to train their people to operate these systems, but he expresses concern about educating the civilian workforce which will also need to be involved.
Applied Technology Institute (ATI) can play an important role in preparing the workforce which will support the future nuclear Triad since it offers a diverse collection of courses which cover all of the domains where the Triad will need to operate; air, sea, and space. Please consider looking at the current set of course offerings at ATI and consider taking some of our courses to better position yourself to make significant contributions to solving the complex problems associated with Strategic Deterrence in the future.
