Product Proposal and Calendar

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Introduction and Statement of Purpose

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When talking about space many imagine a vast area of nothingness. It is often known to be desolate and empty. However it is not as known that we too have a ring around us, of man made debris. This massive amount of debris is bound to create issues to our society and pose as a hazard. From all the leftovers of the satellite pieces to separated space shuttle parts, space holds “over 21,000 pieces of space trash larger than 4 inches (10 centimeters) and  half a million bits of junk between 1 cm and 10 cm are estimated to circle the planet.” That statistic is only expected to increase.

With that, the product I am proposing is an effective method to essentially eradicate the space debris, with an orbiting satellite that holds a laser. A satellite, or artificial satellite, is meant to orbit the Earth, scanning it. With the laser attached to it, it will be able to orbit around the entirety of Earth’s orbital course and be able to eliminate all foreign particles in its path. With this I plan to pitch an alternative means to organizations to essentially getting rid of the junk that surrounds us.

 

Review of Skills and Research

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Since the product I am planning on creating involves extensive knowledge on how the atmosphere in space works, I would also need to get a deeper understanding of how lasers work in that type of environment. In addition, I need to further my knowledge in all of the exact components that make up of both the satellite and the laser. There is also the factor of what would happen to the debris that surrounds the Earth once hit by the laser. In addition I need to familiarize myself with what companies are working on currently. All these questions laid the foundation of the research that I needed to conduct. I thoroughly researched the different components that make up of a satellite and it is identified by organizations that due to the satellite being the main man-made orbiter of the Earth, it is the best option to utilize if a laser is to be added. In addition they add that “space is going to get more crowded” since companies such as Space X has a goal to get humans to become multi planetary species, and the requirement of many satellites are needed above the planet.

When researching the idea of collecting the myriad of space junk and recycling them was something that I wanted to do, yet those pieces may be completely damaged to the point where they are unable to use. I learned that space junk is a rising issue that many companies are pondering over and what the best solution is. Many suggested the use of a spaceship to collect it all but had the issue with the amount of velocity and fuel needed to fulfill that journey. Throughout the final product experience, my goal is to gain a proficiency in how exactly lasers work and how that can apply in an atmosphere such as space.

 

Methodology

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First I will need to meet with my mentor regarding the sole discussion of the final product and begin the research on how the the presence of space junk is affecting the atmosphere and different means that it can pose as a harm to the earth. After meeting with my mentor, I was able to learn that he did some projects oriented towards space junk in his senior year of college. With that he was able to explain to me a lot about what he learned and what organizations are currently working on regarding this since it is a very broad topic. He mentioned one company that came up with the idea to create a fence or a barrier that moves the junk out of the way of a space shuttle, yet the flaw is that it can still pose as a harm to Earth, and if Elon Musk’s plan is executed it can affect other planets that we will inhabit. 

 

Materials

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The materials that I will need to utilize include the CAD Modeling Autodesk Inventor software to design a prototype. This is free of charge since I have it downloaded on my laptop. In addition I will be utilizing the Lockheed Martin site if needed with the approval of my mentor. Other than this, I will use a 3D printer to create a model of my design. I need to ask for permission to use either the library or CTE 3D printers. The technology can be easily accessed and I am certain that I will be able to use it free of charge.

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Conclusions

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The result of my final product is the design, write up, and 3D model of the laser satellite. At the conclusion of the final product, I will have gained a great knowledge over the components of a satellite, how lasers work in general and in different environments, for example how it works on Earth and how that compares to in space.

In comparison to the original work, one of my goals is to make it have a better quality and play a large role in the aerospace community now, especially since space junk is something that companies are working on extensively. This project will overall benefit my knowledge to get a better understanding in the aerospace field and it will teach me a lot about how being self sufficient and being able to be punctual with the work done as it will give me a glimpse of what the workforce will be like. I hope my product will be utilized in a manner that inspires and encourages the community to participate in some way, shape, or form in the engineering fields.

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Calendar:

02/15/19 - Mentor Visit, Mentor Handbook Review.

02/17/19 - Need to change proposal after mentor visit

02/18 - 02/29 - Research about space junk, satellites and email mentor about progress

02/25 - 03/7 - Work on final proposal

03/08 - Schedule Mentor Visit

03/10 - Work on presentation for final presentation (work on filler words)

03/16 - Schedule Mentor Visit

02/25 - 03/22 - Work on Autodesk Inventor design of the satellite and laser.

3/18 - 3/23 - Contact Frisco Public Library or CTE center if I can use the 3D printer.

3/25 - 4/13 - Begin write up on observations and add slides for presentation

04/23 - 04/30 一 Finalize design and use 3D printer to create a model and schedule mentor visit

04/30 - 05/07 一 Wrap up model, research (write), blueprint (final product) and schedule mentor visit

05/07 - 05/14 一 Begin work on final slides of presentation

05/14 - 05/21 一 Practice and final touches on presentation and schedule mentor visit