On the stand of the Samara National Research University named after academician Korolev, there are a number of interesting developments, including a mock-up of the AIST-3 satellite and parts of aircraft gas turbine engines obtained using 3D printing technologies.
According to the press service of the university, one of the major pieces in the exposition is the layout of the promising spacecraft AIST-3, which continues the line of small satellites of the AIST family, created by scientists from the Samara University in cooperation with engineers from the Progress Rocket Space Center.
“Many years of experience in orbit with small spacecraft of the AIST family of the first and second generation confirmed the validity of the adopted design solutions and proved that AIST is a reliable and versatile platform on the basis of which a line of inexpensive spacecraft can be created to solve a wide range of tasks. The third generation of AIST satellites will effectively complement and significantly expand the capabilities of our orbital constellation. The AIST-3 is almost twice as light as its predecessor. It will become the basis for a series of small spacecraft capable of solving problems of monitoring the earth's surface and providing broadband Internet access as well as conducting experiments in space. The platform is planned to be equipped with a propulsion system running on "green" fuel (hydroxylamine nitrate). With a mass of 225 kg, such a satellite can take on board up to 100 kg of payload,” said Ivan Tkachenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Space Engineering.
In the format of an apparatus for remote sensing of the Earth, the AIST-3 satellite will allow obtaining images of medium spatial resolution in the visible, near-infrared ranges of the spectrum with a resolution of at least five meters in the visible range, ten meters in the multispectral range, and thirty meters in the near infrared sector with a capture bandwidth of 60 km. Shooting in the near infrared range is provided by diffractive optics. Due to the VHF-range radar, the AIST-3 is able to detect subsurface objects covered by vegetation, as well as monitor the location and parameters of water transport.
In addition to small spacecraft, the exposition of the Samara University presents other developments in the field of aerospace technologies. For example, an unmanned aeromobile laboratory complex capable of autonomously flying around the territory along a given route, quickly analyzing the state of the atmosphere at given points and reporting the results to the control center. The basis of the complex is a compact gas chromatograph developed at the Chemistry Department. The device is mounted on a copter created at the University Center for Unmanned Systems.
The exposition of the Samara University also presents units and parts of aircraft gas turbine engines obtained using 3D printing technologies: nozzles of a gas turbine engine of the first and second stages, a burner housing, a flame tube of a small-sized gas turbine engine, a small-sized gas turbine engine in section, unified, removable double-circuit burners. The use of 3D printing by the method of selective laser melting of metal-powder compositions (SLM) has significantly reduced production times and costs.
“All the units presented here are made according to the orders of industrial partners. With the help of additive technologies, it is possible to realize small experimental batches practically on the territory of Samara University. We have refined the technology in terms of speeding up production. In addition, we solved the problem of optimizing the prototype in terms of its fuel efficiency. Next year, our students will defend their diplomas based on a small-sized gas turbine engine for autonomous power plants as a startup,” said Vitaly Smelov, director of the Institute of Engines and Power Plants.
By the way, training in the use of the Sintratec Kit SLS printer took place on the same dates. Details about the master class can be found on this page.
