August 22, 2003 News Releases
Released 8/21/03
UTAH STATE NEWS RELEASES FOR 08-21-03
USU STUDENTS
BUILD A NANOSAT AND COMPETE TO HAVE IT LAUNCHED INTO SPACE
LOGAN — For centuries astronomers have been fascinated
by the heavenly bodies in the Earth's solar system. In the late
1950s, scientists were able to get a closer view of the vast
expanse above the Earth by using satellites — Explorer
1, the first American satellite in orbit, lifted off from Cape
Canaveral, Fla., Jan. 31, 1958.
It's been 40 years and satellites have come a long way. Using
new technologies, satellites orbiting the Earth are becoming
more sophisticated, and a group of mechanical and electrical
engineering students at Utah State University are lending their
brain power to build a satellite of their own.
The Utah State students are putting their engineering capabilities
to the test by competing against 13 other schools in the University
Nanosatellite Program, a competition giving students two years
to design, build and test a nanosatellite. A nanosatellite is
a small satellite that is about the size of a 19-inch color
television. Each team competing receives $100,000 over two years
to complete the project.
The nanosatellite team includes graduate and undergraduate students
from many nations, including Switzerland and India, who are
studying in both electrical and mechanical engineering. The
students began the preliminary design of the satellite in the
spring.
The team's mission is to design and build a nanosatellite that
will study and measure the ionosphere, a region of the Earth's
atmosphere located approximately 60 miles above the Earth. The
Utah State students say they want their nanosatellite to study
the ionosphere because not much is known about it, yet it plays
an important role in protecting the Earth from the Sun's harmful
radiation.
"We have a simple design," said Joël Quincieu,
a master's student in mechanical engineering and project manager
for the nanosatellite team.
Jeff Ward, the principal investigator for the team and a doctorate
candidate in electrical and computer engineering, concurred.
"Many satellites are so complex that things can go wrong,"
he said. "You can't send a mechanic into space to fix a
problem, so we have chosen a safe and reliable design that will
get the job done. We want to win this competition, and we believe
we have a better chance by keeping it simple."
The students, who work closely with professors and researchers
at the Utah State Space Dynamics Laboratory at Innovation Campus,
believe they have an advantage over the competition. SDL scientists
work closely with NASA to further space research and have sent
several experiments into space, and this is the second time
a group of Utah State students has entered the competition in
the last four years.
Beginning the design phase of the competition has been exciting
for the students. They have weekly meetings to discuss their
progress and teach each other about their particular expertise.
They also work closely to make sure every aspect of the design
is considered.
"The electricians must consult with the mechanics or we
might have a problem," said Quincieu. "It's a lot
like marriage. We have to go to each other with every little
design change we implement. We can’t go off and do our
own thing."
The team said that working on the satellite program has allowed
them to intermingle with one another and cross departmental
lines.
"It's the way industry works," said Quincieu. "We
are receiving a unique and challenging education at Utah State."
Utah State is a great environment for someone who wants to study
space sciences, and SDL brings experience and knowledge that
may not be found at other universities, he continued.
One-third of Utah State’s Space Dynamics Laboratory 400
employees are undergraduate and graduate students. SDL, a not-for-profit
research corporation, generated $55 million in revenues for
the fiscal year 2003 and has developed and operated nearly 500
payloads, including shuttle experiments, real-time reconnaissance
systems and satellite-based sensor suites.
Pranay Gupta, a master's student studying electrical and computer
engineering, is part of the team and said that working on this
project while in school gives him special privileges.
"There is no discrimination when you are a student,"
he said. "I can be a part of this team and may get to send
my satellite into space. That might be more challenging if I
weren’t a student."
The students faced their first design review of the competition
last week when Utah State hosted the Conference on Small Satellites.
The judges, consisting of representatives from NASA, the U.S.
Air Force and others, told the students their strengths and
weaknesses and where they needed to improve their design before
the next review in six months.
The Utah State students working on the project are all volunteers,
said Charles Swenson, electrical and computer engineering professor
and the team's principal investigator. The team is mentored
by Swenson as well as by Todd Mosher, professor of mechanical
and aerospace engineering, professor of mechanical and aerospace
engineering Rees Fullmer and Randy Jost, advisor in electrical
and computer engineering.
"The professors are our advocates," said Ward. "We
wouldn't get far without them."
The competition is sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific
Research, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the American Institute
of Aeoronautics and Astronautics and the Air Force Research
Laboratory Space Vehicle Directorate.
The Utah State team members include Jeff Ward, Joel Quincieu,
Jeff Kwong, Greg Kirkham, Pranay Gupta, Matt Warner, Scott Cornelsen,
Quinn Young, Anthony Jensen, Balachander Srinivasan and Matt
Carney.
The Utah State students are competing against other universities
including Arizona State and the University of Colorado-Boulder.
The winning team will be announced in early 2005 and will have
its satellite launched into space on the space shuttle.
"It costs millions of dollars to have a satellite launched
into space," said Quincieu. "Winning this competition
would be a great opportunity for Utah State."
August 21, 2003
Contact: Charles Swenson, (435) 797-2958
Writer: Maren Cartwright, (435) 797-1355
ASK A SPECIALIST:
HOW SHOULD PARENTS TELL THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT DIVORCE?
LOGAN — Approximately 40 to 45 percent of all children
in the United States will experience the marital disruption
or divorce of their parents, according to Census Bureau statistics.
Studies of children whose parents recently divorced showed wide
variation on how they were impacted by the divorce. Most studies
indicate, however, that divorce is difficult on children, no
matter what their age. Many of those surveyed indicated they
were completely unprepared for their parents' separation. To
help alleviate some of the stress and fears children experience
during this time, consider these ideas.
• Most importantly, be sure that as parents, you have
tried professional assistance in repairing the marriage before
calling it quits. Divorce will likely not be easy on anyone
and if the marriage is repairable, quality, professional counseling
can help. Recent research indicates that parents with dysfunctional
marriages who received professional help and stayed together
were happier years down the road than those who got a divorce.
Some marriages are not repairable, but many are.
• If the marriage is not repairable and the decision
to separate is inevitable, parents should meet together with
the children and tell them of their plans to separate. This
should be done in advance of the separation in a calm setting.
Explain why the breakup is happening and what has been explored
to prevent it. It is important at this time that children have
a chance to discuss what this means to them.
• Reassure children that they are not responsible for
the breakup, but that whatever they do or say is not likely
to restore the relationship. Thank them for their concern. Apologize
for hurting them and causing the disruption in their lives.
• Discuss the changes that will likely come into their
lives, and how everyone in the family should be kind and may
even have to be brave in facing these changes together. Reassure
children that they are still loved by both parents and give
them permission to love both parents. Assure children that both
parents will still be available to them. Discuss all the possibilities
available to them as far as living with one or the other parent.
• After the separation, it is important not to put children
in the middle while handling differences. Do not quiz them on
the whereabouts or behavior of the other parent. It is not fair
to have children report on the activities of the other parent.
Refrain from making derogatory comments about their other parent.
• After the separation occurs, both parents should regularly
spend time with the children. It is also important that both
parents allow children to ask questions and discuss their feelings
regarding the divorce as often as they need to.
• The more amiable the divorce is and the events leading
to it, the easier it is on children. Conflict between the parents
is likely one of the most destructive elements of a divorce.
• It is usually best if neither parent rushes into another
relationship. It is often difficult for children to accept another
person into their circle of family relationships--especially
soon after a divorce.
• Finally, it is important to note that there seems to
be little relationship between how children react at the time
of the divorce and how they will fare later in life.
* To see other "Ask A Specialist" columns, visit
http://extension.usu.edu/publica/news/aska/
________
Direct column topics to Julene Reese, Utah State University
Extension, Logan, UT 84322-4900; 435-797-1363; julener@ext.usu.edu
August 21, 2003
Answer by Glen Jenson, professor emeritus, Utah State University
Extension and Family and Human Development Department
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