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NPSAT1

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Description of Thesis Topic 

The NPSAT1 spacecraft will undergo a number of environmental tests in order to fly as a secondary payload.  Testing will include a low-level modal survey, random vibration in all three axes, and thermal-vacuum cycling.  Testing will be performed at the system level as well as the module, or subsystem, level.  The officer student will work along with staff engineers to finalize and execute the environmental test plan for both the subsystem and system-level tests.  This includes understanding the spacecraft functions to a level where functional tests can be defined as a pass/fail criterion of the environmental test.  Launch carrier requirements are to be researched and used to define test levels.  The completed thesis will serve as a test report of the various testing performed.

Proposed Outline

• NPSAT1 Introduction 
• Secondary Payloads Requirements
• Overview of Testing Methods and Philosophies
• Launch Carrier Requirements
• NPSAT1  Test Plan
• Description of Testing Performed
• Conclusions & Recommendations
• Appendix of Test Result and Test Data

Suggested References

• General Environmental Verification Specification for STS & ELV  Payloads Subsystems, and Components, GEVS-SE, NASA/GSFC, January 1990.

• Test Requirements for Space Vehicles, MIL- STD-1540B, Oct.1982. 

• Application Guidelines for MIL-STD-1540B, MIL-HDBK-340,  July1985.