Raspberry Pi really is the little computer that could. From any number of DIY projects to a practical teaching aid, the low-cost, compact and extremely versatile little computer has found a useful niche inside the high-powered and sometimes expensive world of modern computing.
NASA has taken these a step further, by incorporating the credit card-sized hardware into a version of their CubeSat - the 10cm cube satellites often made from commercial and off-the-shelf tech, and used for experiments in space. With some novel technology and programming, the new Pi-Sat is being introduced into classrooms as a tool to initiate students in the wide world of satellite engineering.
Introducing Pi-Sat
Any spacecraft, regardless of size, is a complex piece of hardware. Though the 3D-printed plastic casing of the Pi-Sat may never make it into orbit, it presents opportunities as a development and learning tool which cannot be understated.
“Even though the CubeSat is a compact spacecraft, it has all the complexities of a large spacecraft. Now, with Pi-Sat, we have something everyone can use. You can literally just hook up a keyboard to it to send commands and receive data,” said David McComas, head of the Flight Software System branch at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
The current models incorporate a Pi-Sat 1U Cube, a Pi-Sat Wireless Node, and a Pi-Sat CubeSat processor card. Identifying and testing projects using the Raspberry Pi hardware is only the first step, though, as it’s NASA’s software that makes everything work.
Going Open Source
NASA has taken cues from some of the biggest trends in software development, and made its core Flight System (cFS) software available to the public under a NASA Open Source Agreement. This allows any developer, programmer or hobbyist tinkerer access to the core software architecture NASA uses on many of its missions. It just so happens that the cFS will also run on the Linux-based Raspberry Pi.
“Making the cFS open source was a big plus because now we had this entire working product free for anyone to use. It gives us a greater capability for educational outreach and is much more accessible to students,” said Susanne Strege, cFS project lead and associate head of the Flight Software Systems branch at Goddard.
With a 3D-printed case, some simple yet specialized hardware, and the cFS software onboard, NASA has created a tool not only for development of future CubeSat applications, but something to bring into the classroom.
The Next Generation of Engineers
Putting the Pi-Sat in the hands of students allows them to get a good look at the applications of the CubeSat, test out their own ideas and, using the cFS software, to design their own projects that can be incorporated into the more space-worthy CubeSat.
“Last year’s workshop asked the students, ‘Can you build a satellite?’” said Patrick Stakem, professor of electrical engineering at Capitol Technology University outside of Washington DC. “This year, we’re asking, ‘Assuming you can build a satellite, what would you do with it?’ We want the students to define their own projects while we give them guidance. There are a couple right ways and a whole lot of wrong ways to build a satellite.”
While universities have been sending student designed CubeSats into space for a while, these missions often run into issues. With software being the largest area of failure in these previous projects, using the open source cFS offers students a way to see how things should work, and focus more on the experiments the CubeSats are designed to perform.
NASA’s Next Steps
There has been a trend of late of NASA opening its doors and working with other organizations and educational institutions on a new era of space exploration.
“I see this as a way of democratizing space; we’re trying to make it accessible to as many people as we can,” said McComas. “We want to give back and spread our knowledge to these students. You can talk theory all you want, but when you have something like this that is tangible, it captivates the students’ attention and they want to learn more.”
Encouraging the new generation of engineers and drumming up interest in the space program can only lead to good things, and putting NASA-level technology and software in the hands of students might be the recipe for success the space agency has been looking for.