The Overview — Ascent
Fueling the next generation of aerospace engineers
Ascent
The act of rising or moving upward; a climb or rise to a higher point or level.
Welcome back to The Overview! This week's edition, Ascent, captures the spirit of rising to new heights in the aerospace field. We’re excited to share with you a series of inspiring stories and updates:
💻 Explore why space missions rely on older technology and what advancements in computing could mean for future space exploration with Brandon's deep dive
🛠️ Ever wondered what an Integrations Engineer at a satellite launch start-up does? Join Rishi as he explores the intricacies of this integral role!
🌕 NASA extends Hubble's life into the 2030s with reduced efficiency, while China's Chang’e-6 mission successfully collects and returns samples from the moon's far side, advancing its lunar exploration plans.
Speaking of ascent—we also note that Boeing’s Starliner has successfully lifted off and is bound for the ISS as we send this newsletter! For more updates, check here.
🚀 Featured Technology
The Future of In-Space Computing
The flagship Mars 2020 mission successfully executed groundbreaking entry, descent, and landing algorithms to land on the Martian surface. Surely, that required unprecedented computing power… right?
Well, the processor at the helm of the operation was the BAE RAD750, initially released in 2001. A modern household CPU can execute 1000x more instructions per second than the processor used on Mars 2020. What gives? Why don’t we have the most “advanced” computing infrastructure in space?
The exploration of this question yields some fascinating insights into:
☢️ How radiation demands different design criteria
❓The changing landscape of risk-tolerance
🤖 What greater compute could mean for the future of space
Join Brandon, a graduate student in MIT’s STAR lab, as he dives into the nuances of in-space computing!
👥 Personal Experiences
The Not-So-Obvious Parts of Avionics Engineering
Many roles within avionics teams are often discussed as being critical to the success of a mission. Some of the roles that are not talked about as much are those that Integration Engineers fill. This week, Rishi Patel, an avionics integration engineer at ABL Space Systems, tells us what he does to help avionics projects operate smoothly when designing, building, and transitioning large launch systems into operational periods. Join him as he talks about:
🧑🎨 High level design choices and questioning everything
⚙️ Form, fit, function and non-conformances
✔️ System checkouts and documenting results
💁 Tips for those just starting their aerospace career
Avionics integration is an integral role in the aerospace industry! If you want to learn more about it, check out the full article here:
🗞️ Aerospace News
NASA has opted to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope by operating it on a single gyroscope after one of the three remaining gyros failed. This decision allows Hubble to continue operations into the 2030s, albeit with reduced efficiency and flexibility in scheduling observations.
A study by the Space Telescope Science Institute estimated a 25% reduction in overall ‘scientific productivity’, but Mark Clampin, director of NASA’s astrophysics division, told reporters; “I don’t personally see this as a major restriction on its ability to do important science.”
While there were discussions about a private servicing mission, NASA has decided against it due to concerns about potential risks to the telescope. Despite challenges, Patrick Crouse, Hubble's project manager, is still optimistic about the telescope's future scientific contributions; “we do not see Hubble as being on its last legs.”
Meanwhile, China's Chang’e-6 mission has successfully collected samples from the far side of the moon and launched them into lunar orbit for the journey back to Earth. This mission marks a significant step in China's space exploration plans, providing valuable experience for future manned missions to the moon and space endeavors. Watch the ascent vehicle lift off, as captured from the lander here.
The ascent vehicle is slated to automatically dock and transfer the sample canisters with the mission’s service module. During docking, both spacecraft are expected to travel 1.6 kilometers per second! The ascent vehicle will then be discarded as the service module begins its journey back to Earth, landing in inner Mongolia on June 25th.
Chang’e-6 is part of China’s broader lunar program and will be succeeded by two follow-up missions exploring the moon's south pole in preparation for a planned crewed lunar mission by 2030.
💬 Quote of the Week
“Set all your mind upon the steep ascent.” — William Butler Yeats
Thanks for reading The Overview—The Ascent edition. As always, feel free to contact us at admin@theoverview.org with feedback, news tips, or requests for topics you want to see in the future.
We hope you enjoyed our first podcast episode from our previous newsletter—we’ve got more of those in store for you in future weeks, including some special guests. Stay tuned for more!
Stellar vibes,
Brandon, Rishi, Tagg, Anshuk, Maggie, Isaac ✨