BIOEXPLORER LINKS

Welcome To BioExplorer 1! The BioExplorer project is an exercise in practical problem-solving as well as progressive long-term thinking. The design is fully modular, allowing a complete separation of bus (the delivery system) and payload. Future applications of the design can be adaptable to radically different missions. The communication between bus and appropriate payload can be achieved with a minimum of future reprogramming of the bus and no physical modification. BioExplorer is being built quickly and inexpensively -- the entire design and production process is on the order of one year, by far on the short end of the spectrum for satellite design. In this way also, BioExplorer is versatile and forward thinking, being well suited for missions that require rapid and accurate results to be delivered on a limited budget. For future human travel in space, it is important to know as much as possible about the development of life in space. The initial BioExplorer will carry a payload of yeast, which will be investigated for growth patterns and conditions in an orbital environment (hence the name). The yeast will go through ten life cycles over a period of 160 hours. The satellite will be flying in a sun synchronous orbit, and transmitting pictures of the yeast growth at least twice a day depending on the number of available ground stations. The satellite weighs 6kg and measures 13 in x 8.5 in x 4 in. The body of the spacecraft is based on the CubeSat design; BioExplorer is constructed out of six CubeSats. Unlike earlier Stanford-built satellites, the payload for BioExplorer requires a life support temperature that remains fairly constant at 30 degrees Celsius (plus or minus 3 degrees), and must remain in microgravity, which hinders the controlled spacecraft spin necessary for efficient solar power.  California Polytechnic Institute at SLO is working on developing the chassis (in a combined effort with Stanford) and the launcher; NASA-AMES is developing the payload (the yeast experiment); Stanford University is building the spacecraft bus. The delivery date for the complete satellite is November 1st, 2001, and the expected launch date is May 15th, 2002.   A more in-depth overview of the project is located here.       This page is under fierce construction and its contents will be constantly changing, so check back for updates. for any further posts please  email: lwu81@stanford.edu

Internal Site