Students from Morehouse College's Micro/Nano Optics Research and Engineering (M.O.R.E.) Laboratory are collaborating with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to design and test 6U-CubeSats in a Zero Gravity Environment.
Morehouse College, the Mecca of black excellence and leadership, is partnering with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to take research and engineering to new heights. This semester, the Physics Department’s Micro/Nano Optics Research and Engineering (M.O.R.E.) Laboratory will be working closely with NASA research scientists to design and develop new flight mechanisms for nanosatellites in a zero gravity environment. Our research team consist of 7 current Morehouse students (Christopher Wills, Cedric Hill, Kofi Christie, Lawrence Jacob, Dexter Taylor, Phillip Nwachokor, and Lewis Jones) and 2 faculty members (Dr. Thomas Searles ’05 and Dr. Willie Rockward).
During the spring semester of 2013, students from the M.O.R.E. Lab submitted a Zero Gravity Space Proposal to the NASA Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP), which was approved during the Summer of 2013. The objective of the experiment is to test a 6UCubeSat (miniaturized satellite, approx. 10 cm3 in size) deployment device designed by NASA and a nichrome burn wire deployment device for 6UCubeSats developed by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in a zero gravity environment. This will be done aboard a Boeing 727200 (Vomit Comet) which flies in a parabolic manner creating the zero gravity environment. During the flight, students hope to measure the success of these two mechanisms in terms of current applied to the deployment system, actuation and release time. Flight week will commence from November 1st November 9th.
Throughout the 2013 summer and fall academic semesters, the M.O.R.E. laboratory research team has been preparing extensively for the flight by collaborating with one another to compose a detailed test equipment data package that outlines details such as the experiment description, equipment, structural and electrical analysis. Specifically, the student leader of the flight team Dexter Taylor has been in direct contact with NASA administrators to ensure that revisions of the test equipment data package will meet the expectations and standards of NASA.
Working with NASA gives Morehouse students unparalleled experience engineering in zerogravity conditions. Similarly, this project gives NASA the opportunity to grow as a company by expanding their pool of potential employees to minority serving institutions. Through this preparation process, the team has gained valuable analytical and research skills as well as building upon necessary teamwork skills that will undoubtedly help prepare each student for his future in either graduate school or the workforce. It is crucial that Men of Morehouse work with wellrecognized organizations such as NASA to further expose their talent and unique skill set. We plan to ensure our future stake in scientific innovation by sharing our enthusiasm with classmates and the surrounding community.
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