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COLORADO COMMUNICATOR ➢➢➢ spacegrant.colorado.edu

Typically, snow melt runoff from the nearby Sangre de Cristo mountain range provides interesting obstacles for course set-up at the annual COSGC Colorado Robotics Challenge at the Great Sand Dunes National Park. This year, Mother Nature contributed to our 10th anniversary celebration with blowing snow (lots of it) and freezing temperatures. Nevertheless, students, faculty, and robots made a great showing at the event. Students went the extra mile - designing covers for their robots at the last minute to protect electronics from the added extreme temperature, wind, and precipitation challenges. Teams that could not make it as a result of the weather, were able to participate by submitting videos of their robots tackling sandy terrain. Here’s to another 10 years and beyond!

ANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF THE COLORADO SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM FEBRUARY 2017

O L O R A D OO M M U N I C A T O R

Robotics Challenge Turns 10!

Providing an inclusive community of Colorado students

with research & hands-on

experiences to prepare them for our nation’s future space

programs and supporting industry.

INSIDE: Symposium 3

Comm College Rocket 4

Affiliate Updates 6 - 14

Total Solar Eclipse 15

Antarctic Adventure 15

Current Student Focus 16

Alumni Spotlight 20

COSGC Affiliate Directors 22


Director’s Corner NEWSLETTER OF THE COLORADO SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM PAGE 2

COLORADO SPACE GRANT AFFILIATES

Adams State University (ASU)George Sellman

Aims Community College (AiCC)

Lee McMainsArapahoe Community College

(ArCC)Jennifer Jones

Colorado Mesa University (CMU)

Warren MacEvoyKarl Castleton

Colorado School of Mines (CSM)

Angel Abbud-MadridColorado State University (CSU)

Azer YalinColorado State University

Pueblo (CSU-Pueblo)Jude DePalma

Community College of Aurora (CCA)

Victor AndersenCommunity College of Denver

(CCD)Joel Thompson

Fort Lewis College (FLC)Charlie Hakes

Otero Junior College (OJC)Joel Gray

Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC)

Rob GilchristPueblo Community College

(PCC)Joey Mathews

Red Rocks Community College (RRCC)

Barbra Sobhani Space Foundation

Bryan DeBates Trinidad State Junior College

(TSJC)Cindy Clements

University of Colorado Boulder (CU)

Brian SandersUniversity of Colorado

Colorado Springs (UCCS)Steve Tragesser

University of Northern Colorado (UNC)

Matt Semak Western State Colorado

University (WSCU)Suzanne Taylor

Greetings from Boulder, Colorado. I am standing at my desk, yes I have a stand up desk, writing this potentially award winning Director’s Corner. I just finished reading the latest Colorado Communicator – COSGC’s most awesome newsletter – and was blown away. I know I am bit biased but I think we have the best Space Grant program in the Solar System. I know there are 51 other Space Grant programs around the country that are also very good but I am going to be bold and claim the title and if anyone wants to dispute my claim, I ask them to kindly read the following 22 pages first. If that is not convincing enough, I will send you our 489 page expanded edition for further consideration. Our students, and the affiliate directors, faculty, and community partners who mentor them are incredible. This newsletter provides a selected set of the stories from 2016 to highlight the impact COSGC has on the universe. Their stories and accomplishments inspire me. I want to take a moment to introduce our newest staff member – Liz Coelho. Many of you may have heard of Liz because she was our affiliate director at Pikes Peak Community College for the past 8 years. She is now COSGC’s Academic Coordinator and we are all looking forward to her perspective and contributions. And while I’m at it, I want to give a shout out to Brian Sanders, COSGC’s Deputy Director and Bernadette Garcia Galvez, our Associate Director (and creator of this newsletter). Without them none of what you read here would be possible and I am honored to work with them each day to make the world spaceier. Well it’s time to close this edition of the Director’s Corner. You are likely too excited about reading the coming pages that you are struggling to maintain focus as you continue to read my excellent prose. Before you go, please know that I also appreciate you because if you are reading this, you are likely connected to our Colorado Space Grant family somehow. Whether as a former student or mentor or past/current contributor; you are either an outcome of and/or a believer in the program, or perhaps you’re one of many professionals within the state, or around the country, who collaborate with us and/or take care of the administrative processes that keep our program strong…for all of you, I am grateful.

Onward…

Director’s Corner

The COSGC family at the 2016 Annual Meeting on the WSCU campus in Gunnison, CO

Director’s Corner


COSGC’s annual Undergraduate Space Research Symposium was held April 23, 2016. Students from COSGC institutions across the state presented research papers to panels of industry engineers and scientists. Industry partners also volunteered their time to read and judge student papers prior to the presentations. Students competed for cash prizes sponsored by local aerospace companies and Space Grant alumni. Paper/Presentation Winners: Grand Prize: High Elevation Light Intensity Observation System V

(HELIOS V) - D.Beatty, H.Flaherty, R.Kloetzel, V.Nystrom

Session Winners:

R-Log: A Low-Cost Low-Power Solution for Data Logging on Payload Missions - R.Belter

Performing Material Science Research in Microgravity - K.Kates, T.Joy, A.Olson, A.Zimmerer

Design of an Extensible Telemetry and Command Architecture for Small Satellites - D.Beatty, B.Hogan, C.Maywood

Poster Winners: 3D Printed Polymers in Near Space Conditions - Melissa Breathwaite, Shelby Ryan

Mars Explorer (MrX) - Kelli Demny, Jiaxin Zhao, Nicholas Pepping, Igor Ryzhkov, Kevin Bennett Robotics Challenge: Design and Fabrication - Cody Helms

NEWSLETTER OF THE COLORADO SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM PAGE 3

Colorado Space Grant Consortium Director, Chris Koehler, was awarded a NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal during the 2016 Agency Honor Awards in Washington, DC on September 14, 2016. At the ceremony, NASA presented the highest honors it bestows on its workforce with the intention of highlighting the distinguished contributions of the honorees. In addition to being honored personally for his efforts, Chris was also a member of the team that was honored with the Group Achievement Award for development of the RockOn and RockSat-X programs. In addition to Chris, the team included engineers at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia Space Grant Director, Mary Sandy, and University of Colorado and COSGC alumni Riley Pack (LGS Innovations), Shawn Carroll (Digital Globe), David Ferguson (SpaceX), Eric Pahlke (First RF), and Lee Jasper (Jet Propulsion Laboratory). Featured right is Chris at the award ceremony pictured with Joyce Winterton, Senior Advisor for Education and Leadership Development at Wallops Flight Facility.

2016 Undergraduate Space Research Symposium

Chris Koehler Receives NASA Achievement Medal


Sometimes all the necessary components come together just at the right time to enable something truly spectacular. Such is the story of the Community College of Colorado (CC of CO) sounding rocket project. COSGC has been fortunate to connect with remarkable educators at Colorado community college institutions. Three such individuals lead the programs at Community College of Aurora (CCA - Victor Andersen), Arapahoe Community College (ACC - Jennifer Jones) , and Red Rocks Community College (RRCC - Barbra Sobhani) as Space Grant affiliate directors on their campuses. All three were facilitating multiple, robust student hands-on Space Grant projects on their campuses, when, in 2015, the opportunity to apply for additional Space Grant funds to establish new

and/or expanded programs came about through the Community College and Technical College grant opportunity. In addition to providing supplemental funds for exceptional COSGC campuses, the award sponsored 13 COSGC community college students to attend the RockOn Workshop.

Students from each institution participated in the RockOn Workshop at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, where they built, integrated, and launched simple payloads. At the workshop, they also attended the Launch Readiness Review of the

RockSat-C payloads that were launching on the same rocket at their RockOn payloads. They were able to hear the experiences of students from around the country. Once back in Colorado, the work began. A combined project between multiple COSGC campuses had not previously been attempted, so there was no foundation to help implement the project. Affiliate directors and supporting faculty at the institutions would be building the framework as the project progressed. With many students from multiple institutions involved, it was challenging to choose just one experiment. The team decided to allow one experiment per institution, and so developed three separate experiments that flew in a single payload. The CC of CO payload explored: the viability of carbon fiber as radiation shielding, the structural integrity of multiple types of DNA


Community College Sounding Rocket Payload

CC of CO students deliver the completed payload.

RockSat-C 2016 payloads integrated and ready for launch!


subjected to the extreme stresses of the rocket launch, and the viability of an inexpensive, custom-built RICH de t ec to r f o r u se i n pa r t i c l e astrophysics research observing. Students and faculty experienced the challenges of keeping up with the strict schedule of the RockSat-C program, while managing multiple

subsystem teams comprised of students from three different campuses. Design, build, testing, and regular reviews with the RockSat-C manager challenged the students in ways they had not previously experienced. A team of students from each campus delivered the p a y l o a d o n - t i m e a n d p a r t i c i p a t e d i n f i n a l integration, testing and launch on June 23, 2016. Experiments worked as they had hoped, and the team submitted their final report outlining the results.

There were times during the project when both students and faculty alike wondered if their expectations had been unreasonable - if they had attempted too much. Many were convinced that there would definitely not be a repeat of the endeavor. However, after a serious debrief and review of outcomes of the project, affiliate directors on each campus have secured another round of supplemental grant funds to do CC of CO’s 2nd payload - planning for launch in June 2018. The effort has created a framework and lessons learned for the entire COSGC program that will inform future, innovative collaborations between campuses. In addition, the experience has been shared at conferences by both faculty and students. Students, Jamie Principato (ACC) and Thomas Horning (CCA), were invited to present their work at the Joint Meeting of the Four Corners and Texas Sections of the American Physical Society in Las Cruces, NM. Their paper and presentation “Prototyping of a Durable and Inexpensive RICH Detector” was

honored with “Best Student Talk” at the conference.


CC of CO students at the launch site at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.

Launch of the 2016 RockOn! Workshop and RockSat-C Payloads.

Jamie & Thomas at the APS Conference.


Western State Colorado University (WSCU) Space Grant continues to engage in astronomical observations - specifically focusing on light curves of exoplanets. This effort includes

students working with faculty to troubleshoot and repair telescope issues. This was the first year, WSCU Space Grant facilitated a freshman orientation class focused on building high altitude balloon payloads. The result was 2 payloads that launched on the November DemoSat flight. WSCU Space Grant continues to facilitate a team for the Colorado Robotics Challenge. Their team braved the weather and made a great showing at the 10th annual Challenge.


Affiliate Updates

Space Grant at University of Northern Colorado facilitates various student projects including autonomous robot projects, high altitude balloon payloads, and theoretical physics research. UNC DemoSat teams explored high altitude radiation effects on carbon nanotubes, DNA, and quantum dots; exploring radiation flux as a function of altitude; and testing of a communication system for a possible sounding rocket payload. The UNC robotics teams built a robot for the COSGC Robotics Challenge in addition to completing the development of various sensors for robotics applications and designing a quadcopter. Physics research included an examination of balance.



Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) Space Grant continued to provide multiple STEM opportunities for both post-secondary, and concurrently enrolled high school students in the local community. The TSJC

robotics team designed advanced autonomy capabilities in their Robotics Challenge submission called SABLE in order to satisfy an extended challenge at the 10-year anniversary event. Their success at this challenge encouraged the team to take on a more sophisticated robot design which they hope to eventually summit to NASA’s RoboOps Challenge. TSJC Space Grant students participated in the RockOn Workshop at NASA’s Wallops Space Flight Facility and launched a high altitude scientific payload with the summer 2016 COSGC DemoSat program. TSJC faculty and supporting staff and community members facilitated additional courses including 3D Printing and Design and Intro to Electronics. TSJC continues to enrich the partnership with Parallax

Inc., which has provided software, electronics, and mentorship to s tuden t p ro jec t t eams . As a recruitment tool, TSJC Space Grant students developed a robotics float for a local community parade which brings visibility to TSJC, the Space Grant program, and the robotics projects.

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) Space Grant helped connect seven COSGC transfer students with faculty working on hands-on projects including development of a

testbed for lithium ion battery controls research; development of a system to track joint locations for biomedical studies; data collection for a human movement study; research in the UCCS physics department; and effect of sunlight on human cells. UCCS Space Grant students made significant improvements to the motion capture system and completed work on a wheelchair stabilization system for a U.S. Paralympic athlete.



Space Grant at University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) sponsored various student projects including the continuation of the PolarCube cubesat mission. The PolarCube team completed intense testing of the Mini-Rad sensor (PolarCube’s main science sensor) on a flight over the Antarctic in a DC-8 aircraft in

collaboration with Operation Ice Bridge mission - part of NASA’s Cryosphere program (see page 15 for more details). Other projects included a follow-on to a CU senior design project called DeltaVSat exploring propulsion for cubesat payloads; a long-duration balloon payload called HELIOS V which completed solar observations during flight in August 2016; teaching of the Gateway to Space class in the fall and spring semesters for over 120 CU students (launching 18 balloon payloads); continuation of development of a mobile S-band ground station and the ground station capabilities within the CU Space Grant facility on the CU main campus; facilitation of workshops for CU engineering student societies and a high altitude balloon payload project with society students; completion of a research project in collaboration with the National Snow and Ice Data Center developing a low-cost sensor to record current and temperature near ocean ice/glacier boundaries; and continuation of the EduSourcing program placing students in internships with Digital Globe and Lockheed Martin. In addition, the COSGC lead institution collaborated with Montana Space Grant Consortium to help develop and facilitate workshops as part of the national Space Grant solar eclipse ballooning project. CU Space Grant students served as project managers for the national RockSat-C and RockSat-X sounding rocket

programs in collaboration with NASA Wallops Flight Facility. Finally, CU Space Grant is participating in the development of a Space Minor on the CU campus that will be available to students of any major as part of the CU Chancellor ’s Grand Challenge.



Red Rocks Community College (RRCC) Space Grant facilitated various student projects to engage RRCC students in authentic hands-on experiences. These included two high altitude scientific balloon payloads and a team that designed and demonstrated an autonomous robot at the 2016 COSGC Colorado Robotics Challenge. RRCC Space Grant was

one of the 3 COSGC community colleges that supported students working on a combined sounding rocket payload that launched in June 2016 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. RRCC hosted its first statewide robotics workshop and participated in Aerospace Day at the Capital. The RRCC Space Grant program joined the COSGC team participating in the nationwide 2017 solar eclipse ballooning effort and sent a student to the how-to workshop in Montana. Faculty attended national conferences to talk about the effectiveness of Space Grant student projects on the RRCC campus. Five RRCC s tuden t s we re awarded transfer scholarships to COSGC 4-year institutions through COSGC’s transfer program.

The Space Foundation facilitated a 3D printing course for in-service teachers. Participants learned to use CAD and engaged in an astronaut tool design challenge. In addition, Space Foundation education specialists participated in professional development programs to inform development of space-focused courses for pre- and in-service educators.

The Space Foundation facilitated a 3D printing course for in-service teachers. Participants learned to use CAD and engaged in an astronaut tool design challenge. In addition, Space Foundation education specialists participated in professional development programs to inform development of space-focused


Otero Junior College (OJC) Space Grant facilitated both a scientific high altitude balloon payload and an autonomous robot for the COSGC Colorado Robotics Challenge.


Pueblo Community College (PCC) Space Grant facilitated multiple projects including autonomous robots demonstrated at the Robotics Challenge and a two high altitude scientific balloon payloads. PCC Space Grant hosted a January 2016

balloon payload workshop for student teams from COSGC institutions across the state. The programs prototyped a collaboration with the Women in STEM President’s Leadership Program to provide mentors and group leaders for student projects. In addition, the PCC STEM Center continues to enhance student experiences by adding hands-on capabilities including 3D printing.

The Space Grant program at Pikes Peak Community College facilitated two high altitude balloon payload missions as part of the statewide DemoSat program. PPCC students continue to participate in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program with two students placed: Britnee Staheli & Jack Hetherington. Two students received transfer scholarships to COSGC 4-year institutions through COSGC’s transfer program and five students received awards to continue their PPCC degree programs.


Students at the Space Grant program at Colorado State University - Pueblo (CSU-Pueblo) designed, built, tested and flew a high altitude scientific balloon payload with the statewide DemoSat program. CSU-Pueblo Space Grant students also developed autonomous robot that were tested in sandy condition in Pueblo, but were not able to demonstrate their design at the 2016 Robotics Challenge as a result of the extreme weather. Students also participated

in a faculty research project designing a mechanism to test resistance bands.


Space Grant at Fort Lewis College (FLC) sponsored student teams that designed, built, and launched balloon payloads for both academic year and summer semesters. FLC Space Grant students also designed and built robots and attended the 2016 Colorado Robotics Challenge. FLC Space Grant also hosted robotics workshop to provide basic skills and experience with the use of Arduinos to develop autonomous robots. In addition, students worked with faculty on astronomy research utilizing the local observatory and taking full advantage of the dark skies of Durango, CO. FLC Space Grant students also help maintain the observatory.


Space Grant at Colorado State University - Fort Collins (CSU) facilitated various projects for CSU

undergraduate and graduate students. Projects included summer internships where students built 2 high altitude scientific balloon payloads. A team of interns also completed research on laser plasma studies in a CSU faculty laboratory. Project teams also included 3 autonomous robots that were demonstrated at the 2016 Colorado Robotics Challenge, as well as a senior design team that built a submission for the 10th annual Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC). The team won an award for design innovation at the IREC and was also honored as a top project at the CSU E-days events.


The Space Grant program at the Colorado School of Mines had many student successes this year. A CSM Space Grant team placed 3rd in presentation and 14th overall among 45 participating teams at the NASA Robotic Mining Competition. In addition, the CSM AISES team won 1st place at the First Nations Launch Competition. CSM Space Grant also continues to facilitate high altitude scientific balloon payload projects in the required projects design courses and supports student teams designing autonomous robots for the Colorado Robotics Challenge.



Space Grant at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) continues to f a c i l i t a t e e x c i t i n g r o b o t i c s opportunities for CMU students. Their robotics project that competed at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals was mentioned in NOVA’s Rise of the Robots. Their Cog-Burn robot, was highlighted at the Colorado Innovation Network Conference. Students and faculty are leveraging the excitement of robotics to recruit students into STEM disciplines. Students support community STEM efforts

as mentors for FIRST Robotics and First Lego League teams. Students also design and facilitate activities at the annual CMU Math Extravaganza. The CMU team has begun to explore the use of robotics in clothing design as a possible way to engage even more young women in the excitement of computer science and mathematics.

Space Grant at Community College of Denver (CCD) continues to have an active balloon payload program that flew multiple payloads in both academic semesters. Ten CCD students built autonomous robots for the 2016 Colorado Robotics Challenge. CCD Space Grant students engage the wider

community by facilitating activities for middle school students in an annual Rocket Day - where they work with students on rocket-themed activities. Two CCD students were awarded COSGC community college scholarships.

Space Grant at Community College of Aurora (CCA) is continuing to teach the Experimental Design Course, as part of a focused program to provide pre-engineering coursework and experiences to CCA students, to enable them to be successful as they transfer to 4-year institutions. In Experimental Design, students design, build, and launch high altitude balloon payloads. Students are introduced to the program through the Data Analysis course which provides skills students can put into use in Experimental Design. CCA Space Grant facilitated its first intro to engineering workshop and affiliated robotics course. Robotics course students demonstrated their autonomous robots at the Colorado Robotics challenge. Four CCA Space Grant students received scholarships as they

transferred to COSGC 4-year institutions. CCA Space Grant was one of the three COSGC community college campuses that participated in the combined sounding rocket payload and is one of the four COSGC campuses participating in the nationwide 2017 Solar Eclipse High Altitude Ballooning program.



The Space Grant program at Aims Community College (Aims) Space Grant is part of the Applied and Environmental Technologies program. Aims students participate in the statewide DemoSat program - building high altitude balloon payloads. Teams have included post-secondary students, as well as students who are concurrently enrolled - earning their high school diploma while also earning credits toward an associates degree at Aims.

Arapahoe Community College (ACC) Space Grant is providing various projects that engage ACC students in authentic hands-on space focused experiences. These include multiple high altitude scientific balloon payloads and autonomous robotics projects

that are demonstrated at the Colorado Robotics Challenge. ACC Space Grant was one of the three COSGC community college programs that comprised the combined sounding rocket payload that launched in June of 2016. In addition, ACC Space Grant signed on to be one of 4 COSGC institutions participating in the nationwide 2017 Solar Eclipse Ballooning program. ACC student, Wesley Perkins, is the COSGC solar eclipse core payload program manager and is also providing tech support for the national effort.

Adams State University (ASU) Space Grant continues to facilitate a robust robotics program for students enrolled at ASU, which has also spread out to the surrounding community. The ASU Robotics Society welcomes people of all ages who can work with ASU students and learn the basics of robotics and then take their new found skills into many directions with student mentors. Of course many

students build robots that are demonstrated at the Colorado Robotics Challenge. ASU students also help facilitate STEM Saturday Workshops. ASU hosts the Challenge each year, as COSGC students from around the

state travel to Alamosa and the ASU campus for Challenge activities. ASU Space Grant is currently working to expand robotics applications into more disciplines including biology, geography and space applications.


The PolarCube team completed an amazing testing opportunity on board a NASA aircraft. The MiniRad sensor was tested over the Antarctic on board the NASA DC-8 N817NA aircraft as part of Operation Ice Bridge. The opportunity was unexpected and sudden - challenging the team to integrate a cubesat based satellite sensor in only 6-weeks. In collaboration with Dave Gallaher (National Snow and Ice Data Center) and Dr. Al Gaseiwski (CU Center for Environmental Technology), students frantically honed the experiment and developed electronics to make the test possible. The

data is currently being analyzed. Initial review of the data has been exciting for the PolarCube team and their science mentors. More pictures on page 19


2017 Solar Eclipse High Altitude BallooningCOSGC is gearing up for the first total solar eclipse viewable over the U.S. in 38 years by participating in the national Solar Eclipse Ballooning Project developed by Montana Space Grant with support from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Space Grant College and Fellowship Program and the Balloon Program Office (along with many other industry partners). COSGC Director, Chris Koehler, helped develop and facilitate 2 workshops in 2016 that taught participants how to build the common payload and how to develop high altitude balloon launch capabilities to fly the payloads in order to participate in day-of streaming from the stratosphere. Students from four COSGC institutions (ACC, CCA, RRCC, and UNC) participated in the July workshop and students from CU supported both workshops as helpers. Student teams at each campus have been developing experiments that will fly during the eclipse in the path of totality from a controlled launch area at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming. Students have been testing payload systems during DemoSat flights, as they continue to improve their experiments in preparation for eclipse day. The first practice launch took place on August 21, 2016. The launch included only the Core Payload. A second practice launch is scheduled for May 13, 2017 giving teams a final chance to test their payloads. COSGC’s eclipse day-of and test launches are provided by Edge of Space Sciences.

COSGC is gearing up for the first total solar eclipse viewable over the U.S. in 38 COSGC is gearing up for the first total solar eclipse viewable over the U.S. in 38 years by participating in the national Solar Eclipse Ballooning Project developed by Montana Space Grant with support from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Space Grant College and Fellowship Program and the Balloon Program Office (along with many other industry partners). COSGC Director, Chris Koehler, helped develop and facilitate 2 workshops in 2016 that taught participants how to build the common payload and how to develop high altitude balloon launch capabilities to fly the payloads in order to participate in day-of streaming from the stratosphere. Students from four COSGC institutions (ACC, CCA, RRCC, and UNC) participated in the July workshop and students from CU supported both workshops as helpers. Student teams at each campus

(above) COSGC students at the Montana workshop perform ground station and payload communication/tracking testing; (below) a group shot of the 130+ participants at the July 2016 Workshop.

Antarctic Adventure


This past year, COSGC engaged 489 Colorado students in space hardware missions, classes, and research projects, about which you have read on the preceding pages. Introducing them all to our readers would take a newsletter all its own (an extremely thick one). Instead, we present a sample to give our readers an idea of the high caliber of students that are a part of the Colorado Space Grant family, the projects they are working on, and their plans for the future.


Wesley Perkins is a second year student at Arapahoe Community College (ACC) working toward an associate of science degree. He is currently the project manager for the COSGC Solar Eclipse program in addition to co-leading both high altitude balloon payload and autonomous robotics projects at ACC. Previously, Wesley has been part of ACC balloon payload and robotics teams. He also was on the three-campus team that designed, built, and launched a sounding rocket payload at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in June 2016. Additionally, Wesley provides technical support to student teams across the country in support of the National Eclipse Ballooning program facilitated through Montana Space Grant Consortium. Wesley plans to transfer to the University of Colorado to earn an electrical engineering degree (or possibly 2). Ultimately, he would like to work in the space industry.

Student Focus

Tiffany Mowrer is a second year student at Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC) where she is earning an associate of science with a physics focus. With a team of students at PPCC Space Grant, she worked on a high altitude balloon payload project that launched with the summer DemoSat program. Tiffany plans to eventually earn an advanced degree in astrophysics and would love to continue to participate in hands-on projects through her degree programs. Tiffany’s had the opportunity to visit the CERN facility in Switzerland and hopes one day to have the opportunity to be a researcher there instead of just a tourist.

Leina Hutchinson is a junior in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She initially became involved with the CU Space Grant program as a first year student when she enrolled in the Gateway to

Space class for freshman projects credit. She signed-on to be on the student team providing support at the nationwide RockOn Workshop at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility - helping teach students from around the country how to build, integrate, and launch simple sounding rocket payloads. Leina was then invited to shadow the project manager of the national RockSat-C program, for which she accepted the position when the previous manager graduated. Leina has also served as teaching assistant for the Gateway to Space class, in addition to supporting the RockOn Workshop for two years. Finally, she is working on the RocketSat-11 sounding rocket payload team. She plans to complete her bachelors degree, and then would like to work in the aerospace industry as a systems engineer.



Heidi Potton is a senior in mechanical engineering at Colorado State University (CSU). She is currently a team member on the Controls Subsystem team, working on creating controls for a self-guiding rocket. The team is building a rocket to compete in the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC). In addition to creating controls, her team is incorporating an innovative grid fin design on their rocket. The IREC team is also developing an educational program to share their rocket experience with local elementary school students. The program will include rocket demonstrations and a hands-on project for the young students. In addition to her senior design experience, Heidi participated in a summer internship with CSU Space Grant, where she worked on a team that designed, built, and launched a high altitude

scientific balloon payload. Heidi plans to complete her bachelor’s degree and then move right into industry.

Virginia Nystrom is a sophomore at the University of Colorado at Boulder working toward a double major in aerospace and applied mathematics. She is currently the co-project manager for the RocketSat-11 sounding rocket payload mission. Previously, Virginia was systems engineer on the HELIOS V long-duration, high altitude scientific balloon payload mission that launched in August 2016 at the Columbia Scientific Ballooning Facility in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Virginia plans to complete a master’s degree in aerospace engineering and then begin a career working in mission operations and control.

Ian Hersom is a senior at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) majoring in mechanical engineering. With the UCCS Space Grant program, he is working on a video-based marker tracking software designed to be used for bio-mechanics applications. Ian plans to complete his bachelors degree and then begin a a career in the aerospace industry.

Alyssa Benine is a first year student at Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) completing an associates of science degree with a pre-engineering focus. Alyssa began working on the TSJC robotics teams when she was a concurrently enrolled high school student, on the SABLE autonomous robot. She is currently the lead builder on this year’s more sophisticated autonomous robot - named CLOEE. After completing her degree at TSJC, Alyssa plans to transfer to a four-year institution and focus on either mechanical or bio-medical engineering.

Thomas Martinez is working toward an associates of science degree at Pueblo Community College (PCC), with a focus on mechatronics. He is currently a team lead for one of the PCC Space Grant high altitude scientific balloon payload teams. Thomas also participates on the PCC Robotics Challenge team. He initially became involved with the PCC Space Grant program through a previous autonomous robotics project. His experiences have confirmed that his focus on mechatronics is well placed. Ultimately, Thomas plans to earn a degree in mechatronics and find a career that challenges him to put his ideas into practice.



Robert Belter is a junior at the University of Colorado at Boulder working on a double major in computer science and electrical and computer engineering. Robert first became involved with the Colorado Space Grant program as a student at Arapahoe Community College. He is currently working on the PolarCube CubeSat mission in both a systems engineering and embedded electronics system capacity. He recently had the opportunity to focus on the PolarCube science mission (MiniRad sensor) helping develop a testing model for a flight over Antarctica. Robert has also helped develop a beacon system for the Colorado Robotics Challenge and participated in the RockOn! Workshop. Following graduation, Robert currently plans to begin a career working with autonomous robotics or unmanned arial vehicles. He’s considering graduate school as well.

April Beal is working toward an associates of science degree at Red Rocks Community College (RRCC). She initially became involved with the RRCC Space Grant program through a high altitude balloon payload mission. April was then nominated to represent RRCC on the COSGC student team that participated in the national Solar Eclipse Ballooning workshop in Montana. She is now the lead on the RRCC balloon payload project that is scheduled to launch with the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse program. She also works on the team designing and testing the Core payload for the COSGC eclipse launch. After earning a bachelor’s degree, April plans to earn a masters degree. She’s leaning toward physics, but isn’t 100% sure just yet. Ultimately, April would like to work at SpaceX.

Ross Kloetzel is a sophomore in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU). He first became involved with CU Space Grant through the Gateway to Space class as a first year student. Ross worked on the HELIOS V long-duration, high altitude balloon payload mission as a systems and electronics engineer. He is currently the systems engineer on the RocketSat-11 sounding rocket payload mission. Ross plans to finish his bachelor’s degree and continue on to a masters. He would like to be a systems engineer at an aerospace company launching groundbreaking spacecraft.

Jennifer Kramarz is a first year student at Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) where she earning an associate of science degree focusing on computer science. Jennifer initially became involved with TSJC Space Grant as a concurrently enrolled student her senior year of high school. At that time, she was the sensor designer for TSJC’s SABLE autonomous robot. She is currently the electronics designer for the more sophisticated robot in development at TSJC. She is creating custom printed circuit boards for the system. Jennifer plans to transfer to the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs to earn a bachelor’s degree. She would like to earn a graduate degree in engineering and computer science at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany.



Marcus Wolfram is a sophomore at Otero Junior College (OJC) pursuing an associate of science degree with a concentration in engineering. His first project with OJC Space Grant was a high altitude scientific balloon payload. Marcus then served as the team captain for the 2016 OJC Space Grant Robotics Challenge team. This fall, he captained a balloon payload team that explored 3D printer polymers in near space. He has also been continuing work with autonomous robotics team. Marcus plans to finish his engineering education and ultimately wants a career in the aerospace industry.

Chris Rouw is a senior and first year masters student in aerospace engineering, taking advantage of the BS/MS program at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU). He is currently the project manager for the PolarCube CubeSat mission. Before becoming project manger, Chris also worked as a PolarCube team member and systems engineer. Prior to joining the PolarCube mission, he was the project manager on the HELIOS III long-duration high altitude scientific balloon payload. Chris plans to graduate from CU with both a BS and MS in aerospace engineering and then move into industry working with systems integration and testing

Haleigh Flaherty is a junior in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU). Her first project at CU Space Grant was the SIMBA long-duration high-altitude scientific balloon payload launched at the end of the summer 2015. Haleigh then served as the project manager for the HELIOS V long-duration high altitude scientific balloon payload that launched August 2016. She is now mentoring the most recent payload scheduled to launch August 2017. Haleigh also helped develop professional development events for her peers - to help hone leadership skills as students engage in hands-on projects. Haleigh plans to complete her aerospace bachelor’s degree and then have a career in the aerospace industry focusing on testing and systems engineering.

Antarctic Adventure

(l to r) Students Robert Belter & Lavanya Periasamy work on MiniRad in the lab with Dr. Gasiewski; a picture taken by Dave Gallaher during flight over the Antarctic; Dave in communications mode during flight.

Continued from page 15



Hundreds of COSGC alumni remain part of the Space Grant family. Alumni continue to contribute to student projects as they move on to their careers in STEM fields in industry or as STEM educators. Our alumni are project mentors, guest lecturers in classes, reviewers, judges for the Symposium, advisory board members, and even making financial contributions to the program.

Lisa Hewitt was always a hands-on learner. “As an aerospace engineering student at the University of Colorado (CU), Space Grant gave me the opportunity to see the application of concepts I was learning in class, which helped to solidify my learning experience.” Lisa first became involved with CU Space Grant through the Gateway to Space class. The next semester, she joined a team of students who were developing a high-altitude balloon payload to test some of the systems of a nanosatellite that CU Space Grant students were developing through the University Nanosat program. She jumped right into working on the Attitude Determination and Control System team for the Citizen Explorer satellite project, eventually taking over the project manager role when the spacecraft missed its launch and was put into hibernation. Her final year as a CU student, Lisa served as the initial project manager for the first CU cubesat mission - Hermes. She graduated with a bachelors degree in 2007 and moved to California to work for the Boeing Company’s Space Intelligent Systems division as a Guidance Navigation and Control Engineer - developing and analyzing thruster based controls simulations. From there she branched off as an AISR communications specialist coordinating between multiple satellite and UAV programs. Lisa’s last few years in California were spent on the road as a Mission Systems Engineering Lead. After seven years at Boeing, Lisa decided to make her way back to Colorado to be closer to her family and is now an Operations Support Engineer at Northrop Grumman.“I work with a small highly skilled team maintaining a complex system architecture.” “I am thankful for all of the experiences I had at Space Grant. I was fortunate to work with a lot of industry partners. I did not fully appreciate how relevant my experiences at Space Grant were for the real world until I started my first job. By the time I graduated, I had experienced the full lifecycle of a spacecraft from conceptual design and development through launch. I had prepared for design reviews, presented our spacecraft at conferences and witnessed the joys and sorrows that come with the space industry. I was shocked at how relevant the pains of documentation, schedule slips and funding constraints were. Two of my most memorable lessons were: 1) software can work wonders but

it always takes longer than you plan and I have found the best estimate for completion of software based tasks is three fold what you think it will be; and 2) being the Project Manager does not mean you have all the answers and sometimes the health of your team depends on your ability to ask for help.”

COSGC Alumni - Where Are They Now?!


Larry Vidaurre was a programmer on the CAT autonomous robot while he was a student at Trinidad State Junior College. Although Larry was an integral part of the TSJC Space Grant Robotics team, he had the chance to attend robot demonstrations (including the Colorado Robotics Challenge) because his TSJC Baseball schedule always got in the way. After finishing his associates degree at TSJC, Larry transferred to Nyack College where he earned a bachelors degree in computer science. After earning his degree, he decided to move home - Fort Worth, TX - where he started his career at Hewlett Packard Enterprise as a cyber security engineer. “I attribute a huge part of where I am today to the TSJC Robotics program and Cindy Clements [TSJC Space Grant Affiliate Director]. Cindy and Space Grant introduced me to the excitement of the technology field. I love what I do and couldn’t be happier that I pursued a career in computer science engineering. My daily tasks include

working within the Linux command line, analyzing network architecture, and creating innovative solutions to new problems. The best part of my job is the LEARNING! I am constantly challenged to think critically and solve problems. This requires me to be an active learning and never get complacent with what I know today.”


Cary Caruthers attended a Space Grant interest meeting while he was a student at Community College of Aurora (CCA) “just for the pizza”. It was a lucky thing he decided to eat his pizza during the presentation, because by the end of the evening, Cary was determined to join the team. His first project was a high altitude scientific balloon payload. The project went so well, his team decided to try their hand at a long-duration balloon flight through Louisiana’s HASP program. Finally, his team proposed to do a cardiovascular study on a NASA zero g airplane. “Flying on that airplane was the most fun experience I have ever had to this day!” Cary graduated from CCA in 2010 (associate of science) and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree (electrical engineering technology) at Metropolitan State University

of Denver in 2013. He is now an electronics engineer at Lockheed Martin. In his role at LMCO, Cary supports existing engineering through design, manufacture, test and engineering changes. “Once in awhile, when I am lucky, I get to design flight hardware.” He has supported NASA’s Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle in addition to GPS 3, Hellas SAT, SBIRS, and GOESR spacecraft. “I fully believe that the projects I accomplished with the Colorado Space Grant program are solely responsible for giving me the experiences I needed to lead to my current career”, Cary reflects on the positive impact COSGC has had on his life. “Before Space Grant, I never considered working in the space industry. I didn’t think it was a possibility for me.”



Barbra Sobhani is the affiliate director of the Space Grant program at Red Rocks Community College (RRCC). When RRCC joined COSGC in 2015, Barb was an advisor and guest lecturer for the initial RRCC Space Grant high altitude balloon payload team. The team decided to do an astrobiology experiment, which is one of her passions. As she became more involved in the project, Barb realized what a unique opportunity Space Grant was for RRCC students. In late 2015, she took over affiliate directorship of the program. Barb earned a physics degree at Austin Peay State University. After graduating, she attended a geology field campus that helped prepare her for graduate school at University of Arizona where she studied earthquake seismology. During her degree program, Barb helped characterize the thickness of the crust beneath the Altiplano in South America. After she graduated, she worked at Los Alamos National Lab using seismicity to characterize fracturing in reservoirs. Eventually, Barb went back to school to earn a PhD at Colorado School of Mines in geophysics. Along her journey as doctoral student, Barb started teaching part time at RRCC and found her true passion was teaching. She was offered a full time faculty position in physics and has been there ever since. At RRCC, Barb has been the physics faculty lead for nearly 15 years. She is currently serving as the department chair of all of RRCC science. In addition, she has just accepted the position of Director of the new STEM Honors Program, where she is eager to develop the program and recruit even more students into STEM. When not working, Barb enjoys sewing costumes. She enjoys creating historical costume designs and replication. She also does costume work for a dance studio. “My favorite thing about Colorado Space Grant is getting to inspire student and provide amazing opportunities for them to learn and be involved in space research. It makes all the hard work and long hours worth it. Being part of Space Grant has allowed me to expand my knowledge and do truly awesome things.”

Dr. George Sellman is the affiliate director of the Space Grant program at Adams State University (ASU) in Alamosa, CO. George initially became involved with ASU Space Grant during the affiliate directorship of Randy Emmons at ASU (mastermind behind the Colorado Robotics Challenge). George started working with the Robotics Society when Randy asked if George and his students would address beacon and communication problems for the Robotics Challenge. George and his students took on the challenge and also helped at Society meetings with programming advice. The very first Challenge robot George helped program was a Lego robot owned by a fellow ASU faculty member. “ I remember the day of the challenge was windy, which caused sand to get into the motors. Those famous last words - I swear it worked great in the lab.” George earned an undergraduate degree (engineering physics) at UC Berkeley and graduate degree (electrical and computer engineering) at UC Santa Barbara with a year in between working for National Semiconductor. He had the opportunity to work on hands-on projects while in both degree programs, in addition to designing prototypes of small sail boats during the summers, “with limited success.”

Affiliate Director Spotlight



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Since George took over the leadership of ASU Space Grant, the program has continued to focus on developing robots for the Robotics Challenge. Over the past couple years, he’s worked to broaden the scope of robotics projects. These efforts have included a low-budget spectroscopy project and most recently a high altitude balloon payload team and the design and construction of an inflatable Martian habitat. George and his team at ASU are exploring ways to partner with departments outside of the STEM disciplines to put the “A” in STEAM. When he’s not working, George likes backpacking, hiking, live theater, standup, good TV and movies. “I’m a bit of a science junky and love reading articles on physics and Paelo-anthropology. This may not count as outside work, but mostly I like to make interesting things using all the cool new tools available to me. In that vein, I love hanging out and talking with the members of our fledging Maker Space community. What I like most about Space Grant programs is that they empower students (and me) to work on tangible projects with real-world applications. I love seeing students get excited about their projects (although I often need to warn them not to ignore the more “academic” side of their studies). I also love the community of COSGC. It is wonderful to talk and work with people who are excited about space, new technologies, and doing new and innovative things.”

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INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3 FALL 2007NEWSLETTER OF THE COLORADO SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM FEBRUARY 2017

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2017 EVENTS

JANUARY 6-7 Balloon Payload Workshop21 Robotics WorkshopAPRIL 8 Balloon Payloads Launch15 Colorado Robotics Challenge 22 Colorado Undergraduate Space

Research SymposiumMAY 13 Eclipse Test Flight II (final)JUNE 17-22 RockOn! Workshop23 RockSat C Launch JULY 15 Balloon Payloads LaunchAUGUST 15 RockSat-X Launch21 Total Solar Eclipse Event/LaunchTBD HASP Launch

SEPTEMBER 15-16 COSGC Annual Meeting

OCTOBER 21 Robotics Workshop

NOVEMBER 11 BalloonSat Payloads Launch

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