Space Grant Consortium - University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Phaeton Mast Dynamics Mechanical Systems
Adam Harden
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Introduction
This document is a summary report of the mechanical
engineering internship undertaken by the author during the
summer of 2009 at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory with
the Phaeton Mast Dynamics (PMD) Project. The primary
goals of the summer, their method of completion, and the
results of the approaches taken are presented herein.
Additionally, comments on the results are presenting with a
focus on future work to be accomplished.
Project Overview
Phaeton Mast Dynamics is an early career hire program at the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory designed to establish recent
graduates in engineering and science with solid technical
experience at the start of their careers. This summer, I am working with Phaeton’s Mast
Dynamics (PMD) project. The objective of PMD is to fly an array of tri-axial accelerometers on
the upcoming NuSTAR X-Ray Observatory satellite in order to characterize the dynamics of an
extended mast on orbit. In particular, the behavior of the mast due to motion of the spacecraft
and thermally-induced material expansions and contractions will be studied. PMD is currently in
the test and integration phase.
Project Objectives
The Phaeton Mast Dynamics project by its very nature is a quickly developing flight project with
a fast-paced schedule and rapidly changing needs that were not always known weeks or months
in advance. Under these circumstances it is better to describe the objectives of my internship in
the context of my role of supporting mechanical subsystem development and testing, not by a
single task or group of tasks designed to extend ten or so weeks. My success can be measured by
my ability to agilely and successfully complete tasks assigned to me. This is not to say that some
of my tasks this summer could not be known in advance, namely:.
• Learning the UGS NX 5 CAD software;
• Creating mechanical drawings for various purposes;
• Planning out hardware assembly and integration;
• Development of thermal-vacuum/vibration test procedures;
• Design and fabrication of test fixtures; and
• Design and/or fabrication of supporting mechanical hardware.
In retrospect, however, much of this work was realigned or simplified in order to accommodate
the following new objectives:
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