Discussion Groups for the 3rd UNISEC-Global Meeting (July 4th, 2015)

There are 11 discussion topics for the group discussion on July 4 during the 3rd UNISEC-Global Meeting.

Select your group of interest and register by June 26, 2015.

Each discussion group has a moderator and assistant(s). Before splitting into the groups, the moderators will give short presentations (4-5minutes each) to all participants about the discussion topics and how they will facilitate the discussions. You may opt to change groups.

The group discussions (˜4 hours including lunch) will be held in their designated areas (mainly classrooms) and conclusions from all the groups will be presented.

1. Global Space Applications and Human Resource Development using the LeanSat approach
2. How to set International Educational Programme suitable for UNISEC/UNISON
3. CanSat Hands-on Education Projects
4. Successfully Launching University Satellites: From Design to Orbit
5. Ground Station Network (GSN)
6. Remote Sensing Data User Group
7. How should Space Agency support university space activities
8. How Small Satellites Can Comply with the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines?
9. Modern DIY Sounding Rockets
10. Safety Standards of University Rocket
11. University Satellite Network: Knowledge Sharing for Mission Success

Group 1
Global Space Applications and Human Resource Development using the LeanSat approach

Moderator: John Polansky, Kyushu Institute of Technology
Assistant: Takeshi Tada, Tokyo Metropolitan University

This working group will discuss the following topics: a) Mission/satellite applications that serve global purpose b) Methods to reduce development time and reduce cost c) Human Resource Development utilizing LeanSats and new space engineers We will more deeply examine Pre-MIC4 ideas, or other mission ideas that could not be presented at the conference. The group will also focus on how to sustain progress being made in technical skills, management skills, and space engineering. Numerous space engineers and Lean/Small satellites are being produced in Japan and many other parts of the world. But, the human resource development conditions in some countries are fragile, and long-term space/satellite strategy is uncertain. We will discuss ways to develop strategy, maintain contact, offer practical support, and generate funding.

Group 2
How to set International Educational Programme suitable for UNISEC/UNISON

Moderator: Marcello Valdatta, NPC SpaceMind
Assistant: Ryo Hirasawa, Keio University

Educational space programme are very useful for student and Universities. The level between nation and nation is very different and eve the possibility to access to each programme. An international Unisom educational programme could be useful to exchange experience but even to realize space programmes. Organize a global space educational program is challenging but could be possible. Is important to take in consideration that the projects need to be self-sustaining. This means that the aims of the projects will be suggested by industries, interested to the results of the experimentation, or to propose an object of the mission that is compatible with the requirements of the market. A ranking point system, between the university groups applicants (UGA), should be designed to allow to create teams that will be balance and able to carry on projects on their possibilities. The UGA will gain ranking point to have access to longer and more difficult projects in the year following, in fact every year, will be proposed more than one projects in different fields (balloon, sounding rocket, parabolic flight, nanosatellite etc).

Group 3
CanSat Hands-on Education Projects

Moderator: Hiraku Sakamoto, Tokyo Institute of Technology and Mohammed Khalil Ibrahim, Cairo University
Assistant: Yukiya Tanaka, Keio University

CanSat proved to be an effective tool that provides hands-on training for practical space engineering projects because of its short development time and its low cost. Now, there are various CanSat competitions around the world. It gains so much interest, which lead several institutes and commercial companies start to produce CanSat kits. However many questions still need to be answered the most important question is “What is better approach to teach CanSat for capacity building in space engineering?” With the advances in electronics and software engineering, the classical CanSat hardware may start to looks like an obsolete hardware. How can people working in the field of space engineering education develop the CanSat in a way that keep it simple and cope with these changes? Concrete and rigorous project management and system engineering tools need to be adapted in both quantitative and qualitative manner in future CanSat curriculum. Risk analysis needs to be addressed and quantified as well. How can communities with restrictions on hardware imports overcome such difficulties? And how can they launch their CanSat? The ultimate object is to design a CanSat curriculum that addresses all the above-mentioned topics and difficulties.
In this session, participants from each country are asked to make a lightning presentation to share CanSat activities in their country. Then the participants will discuss together the future of CanSat education.

Group 4
Successfully Launching University Satellites: From Design to Orbit

Moderator: Philip Bangert, University of Wuerzburg
Assistant: Masahiro Furumoto, Kyushu University

It is essential to find affordable launch opportunities in university satellite projects, while providing the best chance for mission success. In this group, difficulties in university satellite launch and lessons learnt are discussed, and possible innovative solutions will be sought.

Group 6
Remote Sensing Data User Group

Moderator: Sultan Alsultan, Alqassim University and Akira Iwasaki, University of Tokyo
Assistant: Naoya Okitsu, Tokyo Metropolitan University

Earth remote sensing is a promising space mission that contributes to monitor disasters, environment and so on. Since most of nano-satellites carry cameras that observe earth images. Increase in nano-satellites during the last decade will enable more frequent earth observation, which has been required many remote sensing data users. However, the characteristics of cameras are quite different among nano-satellites. Furthermore, geometric and radiometric calibrations are needed for data utilization.
The Remote Sensing Data User Group intends to develop the methodology to use cameras on board nano-satellites for remote sensing research. Discussion of software toolboxes will be also carried out, which makes a way to expand data utilization of remote sensing data obtained by nano-satellites. To extend our corporation in UNISEC-Global, individual research areas and research themes are discussed.

Group 7
How should Space Agency support university space activities?

Moderator: Kentaro Nishi, JAXA
Assistant: Mayu Banno, Tokyo Metropolitan University

When we discuss the theme "How Space Agency should support university space activities?” we should think of how space agency evaluates university's space activities.
Their skills and experiences have been more sophisticated and some of them can develop satellites which challenge more practical missions such as science, exploration, Earth observation and so on. On the other hand, university students in developing country are generally in less favorable situations, due to insufficient space infrastructure of their countries. However, they have started to develop their own CanSat or micro satellites for their future development.
Taking into consideration these situations, questions may be arise as follows:
• Which fields the university students want the space agency to support them?
• Depending upon countries, specify such fields.
• How the university students (or the university in general) will feed back to the space agency after its support.
• Is this one-way support or a mutual benefit between the two?
• What benefits the space agency will expect to receive from the university (or students) as a result of such support.
• Is there any joint endeavor between the space agency and the certain university?
• Is there any risk that the university may be controlled by the space agency?
• How the university will maintain its autonomy or independence even it will get support from the space agency.
• What is an ideal relationship between the university and the space agency in the space field?
These may be parts of items to be discussed under this theme.

Group 8
How Small Satellites Can Comply with the Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines?

Moderator: Prof Toshiya Hanada, Kyushu University
Assistant: Koki Sakuyama, Tokyo Metropolitan University

One of its efforts is to recommend space debris mitigation guidelines, with an emphasis on cost effectiveness, which can be considered during planning and design of spacecraft and launch vehicles in order to minimize or eliminate generation of debris during operations. The IADC Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines were developed via consensus within the IADC, and provide existing practices that have been identified and evaluated for limiting the generation of space debris in the environment.
The Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (STSC) of the United Nations (UN) Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) developed a set of recommended guidelines based on the technical content and the basic definitions of the IADC space debris mitigation guidelines, taking into consideration the UN treaties and principles on outer space. The guidelines were adopted by consensus in February 2007, and the full COPUOS endorsed the guidelines in June 2007, followed by General Assembly endorsement later in 2007.
The space debris mitigation guidelines of the STSC of the UN COPUOS consist of seven guidelines to be considered for the mission planning, design, manufacture and operational (launch, mission and disposal) phases of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages. Group discussion focuses on Guideline 3 and Guideline 6 adopted in the guidelines. Guideline 3 limits the probability of accidental collision in orbit. In developing the design and mission profile of spacecraft and launch vehicle stages, therefore, the probability of accidental collision with known objects during the system’s launch phase and orbital lifetime should be estimated and limited. Guideline 6, on the other hand, limits the long-term presence of spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages in the low-Earth orbit (LEO) region after the end of their mission. Therefore, spacecraft and launch vehicle orbital stages that have terminated their operational phases in orbits that pass through the LEO region should be removed from orbit in a controlled fashion. If this is not possible, they should be disposed of in orbits that avoid their long-term presence in the LEO region.
Group should understand the current situation of space debris environment, and then discuss ideas how to comply with the aforementioned guidelines, and how to minimize impact of small satellites insertion on future space debris environment.
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Group 9
Modern DIY Sounding Rockets

Moderator: Ken Biba, AeroPac
Assistant: Ayana Banno, Tokai University

Modern materials, avionics and methods allow sounding rockets to carry modest payloads to the edge of space. We will discuss missions, methods of construction and flight planning for such sounding rockets using AeroPac's ARLISS Xtreme as an example.

Group 10
Safety Standards of University Rocket

Moderator: Yutaka Wada, Chiba Institute of Technology
Assistant: Daichi Manabe, Tsukuba University

To date, many universities worldwide actively conduct their small rocket launches based on the individual safety standards or regulations established by the own clubs or the organizations they belong to. The main purpose of the safety standards is to secure the safety of launch members and personnel of the third party, but shall not ties down the students by the strict rules to spoil their motivation for innovative ideas. The safety standard has a purpose to help the students to investigate how the conformity to the safety can be achieved by their own ways, such as calculations or actual ground tests prior to the actual launch.
The agenda of discussion is as follows:

1. Introduction of safety standards in each country
2. Discussion on the safety standards for further enhancement
3. Draft of International safety standard
4. Wrap up conclusion

Group 11
University Satellite Network: Knowledge Sharing for Mission Success

Moderator: Jack Yeh, STEMN, University of Sydney
Assistant: Ai Tamura, Tokyo Metropolitan University

Over 50% of first-time CubeSat teams FAIL. Second and third-time CubeSats succeed 75% to 80% of the time. The number one cause for this discrepancy? Inexperience.
How can we best share our knowledge to accelerate space exploration? We use the power of the crowd to crowdfund space projects on Kickstarter. We use the power of the crowd to answer our programming problems on Stackoverflow. So why not use the power of the crowd to solve our engineering problems?
This group will discuss how satellite know-how is disseminated through the community, and how we can improve this process to enable greater mission success for everyone. Let's learn from the experiences of the community, and build a brighter space future together.

3rd UNISEC-Global Meeting