I know, I know, yet another meeting… apparently we’re making up for the pandemic. But the Tartu Microsatellites Workshop (“Microsatellites and Their Use in Planetary and Astrobiology Research”) is imminent (this Saturday to next Friday):
sisu.ut.ee/microsatellites2023/
This workshop starts with lectures, and goes on to training sessions for that cornerstone (finial?) of NewSpace: microsatellites, including CubeSats and smaller. Since small bodies have true microgravity (logarithmically different than Earth’s 1g acceleration, not arithmetically reduced), propulsion and structure are trivial (no landing legs necessary if it isn’t “landing,” but more like docking). And if propulsion and its tank mass is trivial, that leads to knock-on effects on the structure, which leads to knock-on effects on ACS etc. Microsatellites are enabled- and enabling- to this new world of NewSpace.
sisu.ut.ee/wp-content/uploads/sites/636/schedulefeb2024.xls
There’s not much of a program given- more like a schedule of sessions. Certainly no abstracts; they don’t even give any keynote titles or invited-presentation details. Still, you can tell from the session headings that this is worthy:
Interstellar and interplanetary dust I/II
Comets and asteroids I/II
Nanosatellites in investigation of Near-Earth-Asteroids
Propulsion of micro- and nanosatellites /II
The FEEP propulsion system
The Electric Sail Test Cube
From nanosatellites to nanospacecraft
Cooperation with industry
Clearly, not beepsats stuck in LEO. No students working on a “Look, I made a satellite!” satellite.