星际之门
Spacecraft Tracking and Astronomical Research into Gigahertz Astrophysical Transient Emission
The Spacecraft Tracking and Astronomical Research into Gigahertz Astrophysical Transient Emission (星际之门) project is an R&D program within CARA to develop technologies for space exploration 和商业化.
新的机遇
最初由Dr。. Fredrick Jenet as a public-private partnership between the Center for Advanced Radio Astronomy (CARA) at 赌博平台 and SpaceX, the development of 星际之门 prompted the UT system to designate CARA the first research unit of the new UT Rio Grande Valley (赌博平台).
星际之门 will develop new 广播 frequency based technologies and other technologies for space exploration 和商业化. 星际之门已经确定了具体的, innovative devices and improved algorithms that will soon allow for the next generation of orbital communication systems. This new technology will be the first wave of 发明s commercialized at 星际之门.
CARA has already established 赌博平台 as an important research center in astro物理, but 星际之门 will give worldwide recognition to the new UT university as a leading research institution.
星际之门 gives UT researchers a competitive edge for state and federal funding. Once the new technologies are ready for commercial production, 他们可以服务的市场是巨大的(每年超过600亿美元)。.
成熟的团队
The team behind 星际之门 has proven experience in winning competitive research grants, 发明, 和商业化. 现在, 多亏了星际之门项目, they have also garnered international interest for new collaborations from industry, 政府, 还有科学伙伴.
赌博平台's CARA has developed tools used by researchers around the world for processing signals from 广播 pulsars. That prior effort gives 星际之门 a competitive advantage in the development of tools needed for the next generation of orbital RF communication.
星际之门 has already established collaboration with manufacturing companies with experience in electronics, 广播, 以及航空部件. Their specific expertise will ensure 星际之门's designs are commercially viable and help speed prototyping and development.
星际之门 has cultivated support from the community and is seeking funding from various sources to ensure sustainability for the program. Contributors to 星际之门 include the Brownsville Economic Development Council and the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, 德州新兴技术基金, UT系统, 和美国.S. 经济发展局.
设施及资源
Human resources committed to the 星际之门 project include:
- 卡拉在太空探索方面久经考验的当地专家团队.
- CARA's network of world renowned scientists/engineers with expertise in space exploration, 太空任务, 射频技术, 信号处理, 和“大数据”."
- 物理学专业博士研究生, 天体物理学, 工程, 计算机科学, 和业务.
- Industry mentoring program for students and entrepreneurs.
- Community outreach and education resources through its involvement in the 星际之门 Talks lecture series
Facilities and physical resources supported by the 星际之门 project include:
- 星际之门太空港实验室: 15,000平方英尺的可重构实验室空间, 企业孵化器, and control center adjacent to the SpaceX South Texas Launch Site. It is currently leased to SpaceX for development of the Starship orbital launch system.
- CARA多功能电子实验室(CARAMEL): 2,000 square foot laboratory on the 赌博平台 Brownsville campus, fully equipped for developing 广播-frequency (RF) and other electronic systems. It includes RF test equipment and network analyzers up to 50 GHz, 印刷电路板原型制作, 以及一个100平方英尺的射频屏蔽消声测试室.
- CARA/CGWA激光实验室: Research laboratory for high-powered lasers and optics for communication and precision metrology, 包括光纤拼接设备.
- 星际之门太空模拟器: Large-volume cryogenic vacuum system for testing instruments and materials in a simulated space pressure and thermal environment.
- 星际之门地面站: 20-element phased-array spacecraft tracking and communication complex on the 赌博平台 Brownsville campus.
- 星际之门工程: A rapid prototyping facility on the 赌博平台 Brownsville campus, 与工程学院合作运作. It includes additive and subtractive manufacturing with computer-controlled milling and 3d printing in a variety of materials, 包括聚合物, 丙烯酸树脂, 与金属(激光粉床熔融):不锈钢, 铝, 和钛).
R&D项目
Technology research and development projects pursued by 星际之门 include:
- Phased-array systems for orbital communication, tracking, debris monitoring.
- 航天器用高功率低成本激光通信系统.
- Novel off-the-grid power and communication systems for remote operations.
- Machine learning and edge computing for remote sensors in low-bandwidth locations.
- New materials for spacecraft propulsion systems and shielding.
- 地球成像和地理定位软件.
- Radio-frequency interference mitigation and EM spectrum sharing.
- 遥感重力梯度法.
教育
The South Texas region has unique demographic challenges in the United States. 改善技术劳动力管道就是其中之一. 赌博平台's Arecibo Remote Command Center (ARCC) program has already boosted the numbers of 物理 graduates with Masters or PhDs in the region. 星际之门 will also be integrated into that pipeline to further expand the number of opportunities, 以及对高等数学毕业生的需求, 物理, 在南德克萨斯获得工程学位. 在第一个十年, ARCC已经取得了一些显著的成果, 而星际之门预计会增加他们的数量.