The Metropolitan State University of Denver will soon see a new manufacturing facility added to its Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute, currently expected to open mid-2017.
The facility is a partnership between York Space Systems, an aerospace company that makes space segment customer solutions as well as small and medium class spacecraft, and the university.
The factory will be located inside the University's new Aerospace and Engineering Sciences building, and a Mission Operations Center on campus will support production and operation of the York Space Systems S-Class platform.
York’s engineering and design team will work on-site in the campus building along with the production facility. The Mission Operations Center will have the potential to run spacecraft on-orbit in real-time.
As an example of projects students will soon be able to participate in, York Space Systems has been working on the production phase of their S-Class platform, which has been designed to reduce manufacturing costs. The project is a standardized 3-axis stabilized spacecraft platform that can handle up to 85kg, has 100W of Orbit Average Power, 1,400W standard peak and 3,000W enhanced peak.
Along with supporting York’s Harbinger Mission, the manufacturing facility will be able to create 150-200 satellites each year.
MSU Denver president Stephen Jordan described their excitement for working with York Space Systems. “This partnership is a manifestation of our belief that we create public, private partnerships where students gain theory and practice, and our partners have the opportunity to advance their own companies," Jordan stated.
The partnership means that engineering and technical students in the University's Aviation and Aerospace Science Department will be able to get involved with development projects. It will also give these students access to internships, part time work and other opportunities that will equip them for careers in the aerospace industry.
MSU Denver’s Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute director, Robert Park,added, "It is truly exciting to imagine our students working alongside York's engineers on the design and construction of satellites that will be launched into space and, on top of that, having them participate in the on-orbit control of the satellites they helped build. And this will all be happening right on campus."
Dirk Wallinger, CEO and co-founder of York Space Systems, added, "We believe in the potential for Colorado to become a prominent hub for aerospace innovation and our work with Metropolitan State University of Denver presents a unique opportunity to support the training, education, and employment of future industry leaders."
“The public-private partnership agreement with the University will not only further the growth trajectory for the community, but also propel Colorado into the future of aerospace engineering and technology," Wallinger added.
To learn more, check out the MSU Denver website.