Zilog sponsors student satellite project

The aim of the ARLISS Project is to build, launch, test and recover prototype miniaturised satellites in preparation for an Earth-orbit or Mars-orbit space launch.

Zilog is supporting and sponsoring the ARLISS (A Rocket Launch for International Student Satellites) Project, a collaborative effort between students and faculty members at Stanford University's Space Systems Development Programme, other educational institutions from around the world, and high power rocketry enthusiasts in Northern California.

The aim of the ARLISS Project is to build, launch, test and recover prototype miniaturised satellites in preparation for an Earth-orbit or Mars-orbit space launch.

Zilog's sponsorship again involves donating prize money for the ARLISS "comeback" event for rocket enthusiasts, which takes place this year on 21st and 22nd September at Black Rock Playa, a dry lake bed 160km North of Reno, Nevada.

During the event, students from the USA and Japan will provide electronic gadgets to put in amateur high-power rockets launched by members of Aeropac - the Northern California high power rocket club.

These rockets take the various gadgets up to an altitude of about 3200m where they are ejected and return to earth on a small parachute.

During the parachute descent, these gadgets perform various functions such as taking pictures and measuring temperatures and vibrations, for which the data are sent down by radio to receivers on the ground.

The challenge this year is to develop a gadget that could be launched by these rockets in a carrier that is 152mm in diameter by 254mm long that would autonomously return to the launch site, landing in a 30m-diameter circle near the launch site.

A prize has been offered to the winner for the last three years.

To date, no one has succeeded.

The prize money this year is US $6000.

Zilog is donating half this amount, with the remainder coming equally from Stanford University and the University of Tokyo.

Twelve teams comprising more than 50 students are taking part in this year's event.

"The ARLISS comeback competition at the Black Rock is really a unique experience for the students involved", commented Professor Bob Twiggs, Director of the Space Systems Development Laboratory at Stanford University's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and cofounder of the ARLISS project.

"Each year, the gadgets sent up in the rockets have become more complex".

"The ARLISS project challenges innovative students to get hands-on experience in the life cycle (one year or less) of a space project".

"Each team will design and build one or more satellites, and travel to the launch site in Black Rock to supervise preparation, launch, telemetry download and safe recovery of their experiments and data".

"Zilog's ongoing involvement is great for the project and a logical progression, as we are using the Z8 Encore! microcontroller boards and the development kit in our graduate engineering courses for spacecraft development".

Commenting on the growth and success of the ARLISS project since it was started in 1999, cofounder Tom Rouse said: "When we started the ARLISS programme, we never imagined it would turn out to be such a success".

"We now have universities from around the world competing and attending the annual launch".

"The ARLISS programme is a first step for these graduate students to build real satellites and refine their skills prior to sending a real satellite into space".

"We have seen some notable successes as well".

"For example, two years ago, a team from Japan built a satellite and sent it into orbit after participating in the ARLISS project".

"The things they learned made their project a success, as their satellite worked perfectly".

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