Smallsats are more than proving their worth as they prove their cost-worthiness, timeliness and, for students, they are especially conducive to their creative talents and ability to learn about the technology that drives spatial studies.
A student-led space program has taken flight at Raytown Quality Schools—the Raytown Mission to Space: IGNITE Satellite Program. Over the next nine months, high school students will partner with Interorbital Systems and Raytown community groups to build and launch an LEO satellite to become one of a handful of K-12 school districts in the entire country to send a payload into orbit. Students will develop hands-on experience and skills relating to project management, engineering, programming, HAM radio operation, photography and marketing. Once on orbit, the satellite will collect information and data to enhance Raytown's K-12 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum.
The smallsat build timeline:
- September: Students introduced to low orbits and amateur radio concepts
- October: Work begins on digital electronics (i.e.,circuit boards and programming)
- November: Students program and design a prototype of the Raytown satellite
- December: Students test the prototype and collect results
- January: Students analyze the results of the prototype tests; refine and rebuild the satellite
- February: Final satellite orders are made and assembly begins
- March / April: Final pre-launch testing of the satellite
- May: Satellite launches into orbit off the coast of California on Interorbital's Neptune Rocket
Raytown Quality Schools (RQS) has served the youth of Raytown, Missouri, for more than 100 years. With a graduation rate exceeding 83 percent, RQS has earned 11 National Merit Finalist and Scholarship Winners in the past decade alone. Today, RQS has a K-12 enrollment of 8,800 students.
..In The Pursuit Of SmallSat Expertise…
SmallSat Symposium—Silicon Valley 2017
Workshop: Monday, February 6th, 2017
Symposium: Tuesday, February 7th — Wednesday, February 8th
Venue: Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California
As with any industry trade event, one of the major draws as far as the time commitment necessary for attendance most assuredly revolves around the expertise that will be offered to those who participate... is the ROI for event participation and the hoped-for knowledge acquisition worth a company's or an individual's engagement at the venue?
For the SmallSat Symposium, just reading through the list of subject-matter experts who will be presenting at this event should offset any doubts as to the value of "being there." SmallSat Symposium—Silicon Valley in 2017 will offer a superior blending of expertise and unparalleled networking opportunities with the industry's smallsat, SATCOM and MILSATCOM actors.
This extraordinary event will be held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, which happens to be a perfect location for the technology-rich smallsat environs.
Listed below are the accepted speakers to date, in alphabetical order, for the SmallSat Symposium.
The Speakers…
- Chad Anderson, Managing Director,
Space Angels Network - Eric Anderson, President, And One Technologies
- Jason Andrews, CEO, Spaceflight Industries
- David A. Anhalt, Vice President and General Manager,
Iridium PRIME - Jenny Barna, Launch Manager, Spire Global, Inc
- Chris Baugh, President NSR - Northern Sky Research
- Chris Boshuizen, Principle, Data Collective VC
- Peter Beck, CEO & CTO, Rocket Lab
- Dr, Sami BenAmor, Director of Marketing, Thales Alenia Space
- John Booher, Partner, Hogan Lovells
- Phil Carrai, President, Kratos Technology and Training Division
- Dr. Sean Casey, Managing Director, Silicon Valley Space Center
- Carissa Christensen, Managing Partner, The Tauri Group
- Craig Clark, Founder, Clyde Space Ltd.
- Robert R. Cleave, Director, Vice President, Commercial Space,
Lockheed Martin - Mike Collett, Founder and Managing Partner, Promus Ventures
- James Crawford, Founder and CEO, Orbital Insight
- Randy Culver, CEO, AMERGINT Technologies
- Erik Daehler, Director, Product Innovation Network & Space Systems,
Boeing Network and Space Systems - Stuart Daughtridge, Senior VP Advanced Technology, Kratos
- Tahara Dawkins, Director, Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs Office,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Chris DeMay, Founder and COO, HawkEye 360
- Dr. Lars Dyrud, CEO, OmniEarth
- Dr. Shahin Farshchi, Partner, Lux Capital
- Dr. Jenny Gautier, Director of Commercial Programs,
The Aerospace Corporation - Allen Griser, Business Manager, General Dynamics Mission Systems,
SATCOM Technologies - Dr. Steve Goldberg, CEO & Co-Founder, Venrock
- David Hartshorn, Secretary General GVF - Global VSAT Forum
- Yvon Henri, Chief, Space Services Department, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- Jonathan Hofeller, Vice President of Commercial Sales, SpaceX
- Susan J. Irwin, President, Irwin Communications, Inc.
- John P. Janka, Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP
- Adam Keith, Managing Director, Euroconsult Canada
- Andrew M Kwas, Engineering and Technology Strategist, Northrop Grumman Corp.
- Wallis Laughrey, Vice President, Space Systems, Raytheon
- Debra Facktor Lepore, VP and GM of Strategic Operations, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp
- Chris Lewicki, President and CEO, Planetary Resources, Inc.
- Daniel Lim, President & CEO, Xtenti, LLC
- Tony Lin, Counsel, Washington, DC, Hogan Lovells
- Christopher Loghry, Business Development Manager, Moog
- Dr. Clare Martin, Vice President of Programs,
Surrey Satellite Technology US - Attila Matas, Head of the Space Publications and Registration Division,
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) - Clayton Mowry, President, Arianespace
- Sunil Nagaraj, Vice President of Marketing and Communications,
Bessemer Venture Partners - Ryo Nakamura, Director, Business Development Department,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - Carlos Niederstrasser, Business Development & Special Initiatives,
Orbital ATK - Miles O’Brien, Science Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
- Steve Oldham, Vice President, Strategic Business Development,
Space Systems Loral (SSL) - Dara A. Panahy, Partner, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
- Andrew Petro, Program Executive for Solar Electric Propulsion and
Small Spacecraft Technology, NASA - Tom Pirrone, Executive Vice President and General Manager for the Americas,
Swedish Space Corporation - Will Pomerantz, Vice President for Special Projects, Virgin Galactic
- Christopher Richins, Co-Founder & CEO, RBC Signals
- Jerzy "George" Romaniuk, Product Line Manager, Space Sector,
Aitech Defense Systems, Inc. - Dr. Alex Saltman, Senior Vice President, GeoOptics Inc.
- Randy S. Segal, Partner, Co-Lead Satellite Practice, Hogan Lovells
- Dr. George F. Sowers, Director, Vice President, Advanced Programs & Chief Scientist,
United Launch Alliance (ULA) - John Stack, Managing Director, Aerospace Leader,
The McLean Group Advisory Team - Leon Stepan, Lead Mission Operations Analyst, Planet Labs
- David Strobel, CEO and Program Manager, (PM) Space Micro
- Chris Stott, Chairman & CEO (PM), ManSat
- Tom Stroup, President, SIA - Satellite Industry Association
- Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, Founder and Executive Chairman,
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. - Stig-Are Thrana, U.S. Sales Director and Head of Kongsberg Silicon Valley Office,
Kongsberg Satellite Services - Dr. Joe Thurgood, Vice President Corporate Development and Marketing,
Hera Systems - Dr. Marco Villa, President & COO, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems
- Tony Wilkey, Senior Vice President, AvL Technologies
- Bruce Yost, Project Manager, NASA Ames Research Center
- Louis Zacharilla, Director of Development,
Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI)
For information regarding the various workshops, please select this direct link.