Brown University students have built a functional satellite, called SBUDNIC, powered by 48 AA Energizer batteries, a $20 microprocessor found in many robots, and several more off-the-shelf supplies sourced from hardware stores. It was sent into orbit around 10 months ago by one of Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets, and could be used in the future for space advertising.
Aside from the budget parts, the students also 3D-printed a drag sail made from Kapton polyimide film and once deployed at about 520 kilometers above the orbit of the International Space Station, it popped open like an umbrella. This sail is helping to push the satellite back down to Earth sooner, and earlier this month, it was tracked at approximately 470 kilometers above Earth.
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The large complex space missions we hear about in the news are amazing and inspiring, but they also send a message that space is only for those types of specialized initiatives. Here, we’re opening up that possibility to more people… We’re not breaking down all the barriers, but you have to start somewhere,” said Rick Fleeter, an adjunct associate professor of engineering at Brown.
