Opportunities

SSDS seeks to push the boundaries of spacecraft capabilities through novel applications of modern physics and innovative design. We are currently engaged in several flight and research projects to demonstrate concepts, provide research testbeds, and enhance the state of spaceflight technology. Our team consists of faculty, Ph.D./M.S. candidates, M.Eng. students, and especially undergraduates.

Graduates from our lab have interned, worked, and risen to senior management roles at places like NASA, SpaceX, Draper, Northrop Grumman, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Blue Origin, Planet Labs, Apple, Facebook, Google and many more!

The application is now closed for Fall 2024 Research Positions. See below for the roles we are recruiting for as well as the application link.

1 information session will be held: Tuesday, September 3rd @5:30pm. Upson 106.

Information session slides (Fall 2024) : General SSDS, ChipSat Overview, DeSCENT (Suborbital ChipSat Launch), Alpha (CubeSat + ChipSat-Sail), Sailing to the Stars (ISS Light Sail Deployer)

If you have questions about SSDS or the application, please email Joshua Umansky-Castro (jsu4@cornell.edu). The application process is rolling. Please apply early!

PH.D.

If you are a prospective Ph.D. student, please apply to the Ph.D. Degree program through Cornell’s Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and express interest in SSDS on your application.

M.ENG.

We are actively seeking M.Eng. students for research activities during Fall 2024. If you would like to participate in research during the summer (regardless of whether you are continuing the research in the Fall), please apply here. Additional projects supervised directly by Prof. Peck can be found here. Please reach out to him individually regarding those.

Project Areas:

  • Alpha CubeSat

    • Attitude Control System (1 student)

  • ChipSats

    • ChipSat Antenna Design - DeSCENT mission (1-2 students, RF experience desired)

    • ChipSat PCB Design - DeSCENT mission (1-2 students, RF PCB design + microcontroller experience desired)

  • Sailing to the Stars

    • Avionics Engineer (1 student)

    • Controls Engineer (1 student)

undergrad

We are actively seeking undergraduates for research activities during Fall 2024. Please apply here.

Project Areas:

  • Alpha CubeSat

    • Machinist (1-2 students, machine shop experience required)

    • Attitude Control System (1 student)

    • Publicity/Communications (1-2 students)

  • ChipSats

    • ChipSat Antenna Design - DeSCENT mission (1-2 students, RF experience desired)

    • ChipSat PCB Design - DeSCENT mission (1-2 students, RF PCB design + microcontroller experience desired)

  • Sailing to the Stars

    • Avionics Engineer (2 students)

    • Controls Engineer (1 student)

    • Publicity/Outreach (2 students)

DESCRIPTIONS

  • Alpha CubeSat (lead: Josh Umansky-Castro, jsu4@cornell.edu)

    1. The Cornell Alpha mission is a 1U CubeSat that deploys a light sail into low Earth orbit. Unlike previous light sail missions, ours is free-flying (completely separated from the CubeSat) thanks to its retroreflective material, shape-memory alloy deployment system, and the novel application of ChipSats (gram scale spacecraft-on-a-chip technology) as the sail’s flight computers. The CubeSat, while primarily a delivery vehicle for the light sail, tests a number of key technologies as well. It features an entirely 3D-printed structure to enable quick and inexpensive prototyping, an onboard Iridium modem that bypasses the need for ground-station radio equipment, and an attitude-control subsystem that provides full attitude and angular-rate control using magnetorquers only.  The CubeSat is in its final stages, with plans to deliver the hardware at the end of the semester. We are seeking students to take the lead with the following tasks:

      1. Machinist (1-2 students)
      Spare parts are needed for CubeSat rails and the latch for the sail release mechanism. These must be precisely machined from Al 6061 T6 at a tolerance of +/- 0.1mm as per launch provider requirements. High attention to detail and ability to work independently in the machine shop is desired. If machined better than the current set of hardware, these will fly in space. The student must be machine shop certified with established access to one of Cornell’s machine shops (Emerson, Clark, etc.)

      2. Attitude Control System (1 student)
      After ISS deployment, the CubeSat shall detumble and spin-stabilize about its Z-axis using only magnetorquers for actuation, and a magnetometer and gyroscope for sensing. Significant software development work has been completed to filter noisy sensor data and both design and implement the controller. What’s left before flight is verification (to the extent possible) of the control algorithm on our air-bearing test rig. Confidence with the following skills is key for this complex and interdisciplinary role: 3D rigid body dynamics, feedback control, microcontroller circuits, C++ and programming embedded systems. Additional useful skills: object oriented programming, MATLAB, Simulink

      3. Publicity/Communications (1-2 students)
      As we approach the final chapter in the 8-year long journey that is Alpha CubeSat, we want to highlight the efforts of the amazing students and mentors that brought this spacecraft to the launchpad. We are looking for students interested in science communication, with skillsets in social media, or photography/videography. The goals of the year ahead are to build up our Instagram/LinkedIn presence and produce a video showcasing the final CubeSat build, test, and overall lead up to launch!

  • ChipSats (lead: Josh Umansky-Castro, jsu4@cornell.edu)

    1. ChipSats are gram-scale PCBs that can fit in the palm of your hand, but thanks to the miniaturization of electronics, contain all of the essential functionality of a much larger satellite. They’ve been in development at SSDS for the past decade and previous generations of these tiny Spacecraft have flown on the ISS, been deployed into Low Earth Orbit, and have been tested in Earth-based contexts in vineyards and on dairy farms. Currently we are investigating their use as flight computers onboard a free-flying light sail for the Alpha mission, and the potential for swarms of these ChipSats to survive atmospheric entry and disperse during descent (DeSCENT mission). We're looking for students who can take the lead with the following tasks:

      1. ChipSat PCB design (1-2 students)

      For the DeSCENT mission, the hardware development goal is a fully functioning prototype of the ChipSat PCB. The circuit exists in breadboard form (this should be re-verified), and needs to laid out in Altium Designer. Some updates to the circuit design will likely occur, and consideration of mechanical and RF requirements during the PCB layout is key. Students will have the opportunity to prototype and test their designs. Prior experience designing and programming microcontroller circuits is required.

      2.  ChipSat Antenna Design (1 students) 
      We are currently designing ChipSats that transmit via LoRa on 437/915MHz and receive L1 GPS. The plan is to implement a dual-frequency PCB helical antenna, and integrate a small ceramic chip antenna for the GPS. Simulation in software such as CST Studio or ANSYS HFSS has proven enormously helpful in reducing the number of physical design iterations. We are looking for students to design these antennas, prototype them, and tune the impedance matching circuits to have low return loss at the desired frequency.

  • Sailing to the Stars

    1. In parallel to Alpha CubeSat, we are also deploying light sails inside the ISS! The goal of this experiment is to better observe the deployment in zero-gravity and determine how the sail deployment mechanism on the CubeSat (single door vs. double door) may affect both sail and deployer stability. Astronauts will record video footage for a livestream back on Earth! Project involves both technical and outreach activities. We are now in the integration and testing phase and are seeking students for the following roles:

      Avionics Engineers (2 students)

      The circuit boards for the light sail deployer have been designed, but some iteration is anticipated as we approach the final prototype. Avionics engineers are expected to solder and test the current circuit board design and make PCB edits as needed. Verification of PCB functionality requires a thorough understanding of the microcontroller circuit, as well as the Arduino code that runs on the microcontroller. Familiarity with Altium Designer, microcontroller sensor/actuator circuits, and Arduino programming is desired.

    2. Mechanical Engineer (1 student)

      The student shall support the mechanical lead in iterating on the light sail deployer design as we approach a final prototype. CAD work, 3D-printing, assembly and thorough testing of the deployer shall make up the majority of the semester’s activities. Design adjustments shall be driven by testing, as well as launch approval conversations surrounding astronaut safety. Experience with SOLIDWORKS is desired.

    3. Controls Engineer (1 student)

      The light sail deployer spin stabilizes - using a hard drive disk to generate angular momentum! We’ve designed a controller in MATLAB/Simulink, and are in the initial stages of verifying it on hardware. The controls engineer will be responsible for implementing the controller on Arduino code, and designing tests to verify sensor inputs and controller performance on our air bearing test bed. Modeling of our testbed (e.g. dampening due to friction) should be conducted as well to better predict our controller performance in a true zero-g environment after launch. Experience with feedback control and microcontroller programming is desired.

    4. Publicity/Outreach (1-2 students)

      One of the primary goals of the funding associated with this project is outreach! We are partnering with Air and Space museums in New York and the Bay Area, and also hope to conduct workshops here on campus through the Expanding Your Horizons Program. We're looking for students passionate about science communication and graphic design to take the lead with public outreach (website design, mission patch/sticker design, starting our social media presence, promotional videos, educational workshop design, etc.). Experience with graphic design and/or webdev is desired.