The WIRED Satellite Project is an interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and experiential
curriculum project. Students coming from three different institutions – Community College
of Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the International Association for
Astronomical Studies (out of North High School) - and a variety of courses – Physics,
Mechanical Drafting, Project Management, Quality Assurance, and more – are collaborating
to design, draft, machine, build, and assess a model satellite based on the Mars Global
Surveyor. The Mars Global Surveyor, created by Lockheed Martin, began orbiting Mars in 1997,
collecting troves of scientific information about the red planet until it lost power in 2006.
The satellite project is designed to expose students to project operations within the
Aerospace industry. The different teams, or “sub-contractors”, coordinate across technical
disciplines. A Project Manager and Systems Engineer keep the project on track and ensure
that all the different sub-systems interface correctly. Like any project in the working
world, unexpected hindrances have surfaced: problems with materials procurement,
difficulties in coordinating with other teams, competing priorities amongst sub-contractors.
It is all part of the learning process.
The WIRED Satellite Project is scheduled for completion in May 2008. The satellite will
be housed in the South Classroom Building on the Auraria campus, but will also travel to
local high schools and museums for display.
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