Post-flight data analysis of the BUGS experiment on sounding rocket REXUS-7

• Main Authors: M. L. Battagliere, G. P. Candini, J. Piattoni, E. Paolini, PIERGENTILI, FABRIZIO
• Other Authors: M. L., Battagliere, G. P., Candini, J., Piattoni, E., Paolini, Piergentili, Fabrizio
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Esrange; Kiruna; Northern Sweden
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11573/648633

This paper deals with the post flight data analysis of the BUGS experiment (Boom for University Gravity-gradient stabilized Satellite) which was flown on board the sounding rocket REXUS-7 from the SSCs (Swedish Space Corporation) launch facility ESRANGE Space Center located near Kiruna, in the northern Sweden. REXUS-7 was launched on 2nd of March 2010 at 8.25 local time carrying three student experiments: onboard. The rocket reached an altitude of 83 km and landed north of Esrange Space Center. The experiment, which used the flight opportunity provided by REXUS launches, was performed involving a joint team of students of the Space Robotics Group of the II Faculty of Engineering of the University of Bologna and of the School of Aerospace Engineering of La Sapienza, University of Roma, with the sponsorship of the ESA's (European Space Agency) Education Office, which supports the participation of European students to the REXUS/BEXUS Program (Rocket and Balloon Experiments for University Students). This program is realized under a bilateral Agency Agreement between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB). The idea of BUGS experiment was to test in microgravity conditions the deployment of two booms, one longer (3 m in deployed configuration) and one shorter (2 m in deployed configuration), to achieve data related to their dynamic behavior in orbit. More in detail, achieved data are related to: - reaction of the satellite-body due to the boom deployment in orbit; - boom damping time; - boom modal frequencies. The boom prototypes, based on an innovative design using tape coiled springs, were developed by researchers and students of the Space Robotics Laboratory (SRL) of the II Faculty of Engineering of the University of Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum. The booms were designed to be boarded on small educational satellites, providing them with nadir pointing attitude by mean of simple passive stabilization, permitting to carry on experiments in the field of Earth Observation. Another ...