New book chronicles small satellites

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Wayne A. Shiroma, (808) 956-7218
Professor, Electrical Engineering
Posted: Sep 16, 2010

Emergence of Pico- and Nanosatellites for Atmospheric Research and Technology Testing
Emergence of Pico- and Nanosatellites for Atmospheric Research and Technology Testing
A new book in the emerging area of small satellites, Emergence of Pico- and Nanosatellites for Atmospheric Research and Technology Testing, was just published this week by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the leading professional society for aerospace engineering. The book was co-edited by UH Mānoa Electrical Engineering Professor Wayne Shiroma, who established UH’s small-satellite program ten years ago.
 
Picosatellites, which have a mass between 0.1 and 1 kilograms, and nanosatellites, which have a mass between 1 and 10 kilograms, are paving the way to a new era of faster and less expensive access to space by using smaller payloads. Small satellite activity has expanded greatly in the last decade, due in large part to activity within the university satellite community. The book describes the current state of this exciting field and includes a variety of detailed examples that helps the reader identify appropriate analytical models, simulations, and technologies in the development of miniaturized satellite missions.
 
UH Mānoa authors contributed four of the 18 chapters of the book, covering topics on microthruster propulsion, mobile ground station design, retrodirective antenna systems and a “Small Satellites 101” chapter describing the lessons learned in starting a university small satellite program. Particularly noteworthy is that nine of the 11 UH Mānoa authors were students at the time of manuscript submission, and are currently continuing their graduate studies or are practicing professionals in the engineering and aerospace fields.
 
The nine student authors (Justin Akagi, Dylan Ichikawa, Reece Iwami, Lynnette Ramirez, Rick Rodrick, Tyler Tamashiro, Wade Tonaki, Monte Watanabe, and Lance Yoneshige) were electrical and mechanical engineering students under the direction of faculty authors Shiroma and Carlos Coimbra, a former UH Mānoa mechanical engineering professor who is currently at the University of California, Merced.  Among the nine students, seven received or are currently pursuing their MS degrees and one received a PhD degree. Five are former UH Regents Scholars.
 
For more information on the book, visit: http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=360&id=1850