Grants and Contracts per year
Grants and Contracts Details
Description
The Kentucky Re-entry Universal Payload System (KRUPS) is a small re-entry capsule designed as a technology testbed. For its
first incarnation, KRUPS has been designed to test Thermal Protection System (TPS) material and instrumentation. TPS are used to
protect spacecraft, and its payload, from the extreme conditions of planetary entry. KRUPS has been developed at the University of
Kentucky over the past 3 years, partially supported by funding by the Kentucky Space Grant. Currently, progress is being made in
system verification, software implementation, and launch qualifications.
The objective at the end of the funded period is to launch KRUPS off a sounding rocket. As an interim step, KRUPS will be first put
on a balloon flight, using local expertise and readily available material at the University of Kentucky. Following this initial test-flight,
selected members of the KRUPS team will participate in the Rock-on! 2016 workshop at the end of June. This training will enable the
students to prepare for the sounding rocket launch one year later.
For both launches, the KRUPS capsule will not undergo free-flight, but will serve as the data acquisition system for a hosted
experiment. The launches will serve two purposes: qualify the systems for the KRUPS capsule, and provide experimental data for a
group of undergraduate biology students studying the development of zebrafish cells.
It is expected that all the students participating in the project, including the non-engineering students, will undergo training for the
NASA Project Management Requirements. Engineering students will also participate in the Rock-on! workshop program. In addition
to the PI, the students will be mentored by three faculty members (two from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and one from
the Department of Biology), each providing unique skills and expertise. An engineering graduate student will provide expert support
to the undergraduate students responsible for developing the KRUPS spacecraft, and two biology graduate students will do the same
for the undergraduate biology team. Additionally, a team lead by an undergraduate student from the Department of Management will
develop a commercialization plan for the KRUPS capsule.
Status | Finished |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 5/9/16 → 9/8/18 |
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Projects
- 1 Finished
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NASA USIP: Kentucky Re-entry Universal Payload System (KRUPS) - Experimental Microgravity Payload Testbed Demonstration
Smith, S.
5/9/16 → 9/8/18
Project: Research project