Taylor University's Proposal for ISGC Activities in 1997

Taylor University was added to the Indiana Space Grant Consortium in October of 1996 as the seventh member of the Indiana Space Grant Consortium. Professor Hank D. Voss will serve as the Associate Director.

Taylor University is involved in several Space Science programs which can now be tied to the Indiana Space Grant Consortium to help coordinate resources and educational programs, improve communication and research, and provide outreach to the community and to minority groups. Taylor University is currently responsible for the SEPS instrument on the NASA International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program POLAR satellite, the development of a new High Energy SSD Neutral Atom (HENA) Imager for the NASA IMAGE satellite, the recent delivery of a student-built spectrometer for the ARGOS satellite, the development of a ground based magnetosphere VLF whistler station, the development of radiation-hard space flight analog microelectronics, and several NASA and NSF data analysis programs.

What follows is a list of the ISGC activities that are proposed for 1997, a detailed description of each activity, and then a listing of progress made on those activities (indicated by the graphic).


Summer Undergraduate Student Research Program

 Matching funds will be used with ISGC funds to provide several space research stipends to students during the summer. Students with one-on-one and mentoring faculty are able to conduct research using existing space science research facilities. Last year TU undergraduate students presented 17 papers at the fall meeting of the Indiana Academy of Science. Dr. Voss is also the Director for the Taylor University Science Research Training Program, (SRTP). During the summer we plan to include a component of space science research in a new summer honors program class for exceptional high school students.
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During the summer of 1997, there were seven Taylor undergraduate students working on various aspects of Taylor's space science research. Projects with student researchers included data analysis for the SEPS and SEEP projects, writing of web pages for all of Taylor's space science projects, construction of the VLF station, and IMAGE satellite design work. In particular, students working on the IMAGE project contributed significantly to a successful "Preliminary Design Review" meeting with other IMAGE collaborators.

Development of Space Science Web Pages

 Student-developed space science web pages allow students to understand and communicate ongoing research. Web pages showing current research activities will also help the ISGC information exchange and help undergraduate and high school students become familiar with local research and interest. When Taylor joined the ISGC there was only a web page for the NASA SEPS instrument.
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There are now web pages for the following projects:
  • CCRES
  • IMAGE
  • ISGC
  • LEP
  • SEPS
  • SPADUS
  • VLF

    Real time VLF Station Data Collection

     Initiation of a ground based VLF radio receiving station is planned to help investigate the propagation of waves in the near earth magnetospheric plasma. This station was recovered from northern Canada last year by Taylor students and is currently being set up for local operation using internal funds. Data from this station will be used in conjunction with similar data from Stanford University to better understand upward lighting, sprites, whistlers, hiss and chorus. Student data collection from this station will also be useful for several multi-instrument campaign programs.

    Radiation-Hard Space Flight Microelectronics

     Key to many future space flight programs is building faster, cheaper, and lower mass instruments and spacecraft electronic hardware. A new type of radiation-hard analog microcircuit array with chip-on-board technology has been developed and is currently in orbit on the NASA POLAR spacecraft. We are now developing this technology for general use on spacecraft. Participation in the ISGC will help to share this technology with other NASA programs. Several publications and related design details on the analog microchips will be put on a web page.

    Management

     We plan to participate in the ISGC activities which include preparing budgets and plans, contributing to NASA electronic database programs, travel to annual meetings, and participating in teleconferences and the preparation of some publications.

    Taylor's ISGC Page
    Home Page for SRTP
    Home Page for Taylor University

    This page was last updated on August 11, 1997
    Send comments to Dr. Bob Davis, Taylor University