AsianScientist (Feb. 5, 2018) – The Faculty of Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore’s Defense Science Organization National Laboratories (DSO) jointly launched the Satellite Technology and Research Center (STAR) to develop cutting-edge capabilities in distributed satellite systems. Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board, STAR is helmed by Professor Low Kay Soon, who is from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the NUS Faculty of Engineering.
Located within the Singapore Wind Tunnel Facility on the NUS Kent Ridge campus, STAR comprises a state-of-the-art clean room facility for satellite testing and assembly works, electrostatic discharge controlled laboratories for research and student projects, as well as environmental testing facilities such as a thermal chamber and a vacuum chamber. STAR’s 1,400 square meter facility is currently home to 50 research staff and students.
The center will pioneer experimental satellite platforms, with a focus on the development of small satellites, and will deepen the local base of expertise in space and satellite technologies. In contrast to the traditional approach of building large satellites (weighing between a few hundred to a few thousand kilograms), STAR will build multiple small satellites, each weighing less than one tenth of conventional satellites, and fly them together.
“Small satellites are relatively cheaper to produce, test and launch. They could also be mass produced and they have a much shorter time to market. A fleet of small satellites—flying in formation, swarm or constellation—could possibly cover the whole Earth and reduce latency, hence opening up new services that were not possible in the past,” said Low, who is a veteran of Singapore’s satellite programs.
NUS undergraduate students from the Faculty of Engineering will have the opportunity to undertake satellite and space related projects offered by STAR. Involvement in such projects will expose students to real-life project applications, and provide them with valuable multidisciplinary, team-based work experience in the space industry. STAR researchers will also support relevant academic modules, as well as supervise student projects.
“For Singapore to gain a strong foothold in this knowledge-intensive sector, it is crucial to develop a vibrant space innovation ecosystem comprising a critical mass of home-grown talents, a thriving space industry, as well as a conducive research environment where scientists, engineers and industry partners jointly innovate and create new technologies to address satellite technology challenges,” said Low.
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Source: National University of Singapore.
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