Carnegie Mellon University enters rideshare agreement with Alba Orbital to launch world’s first ‘Orbital Edge Computing’ PocketQube via SpaceX.
Carnegie Mellon University becomes the latest academic organisation to join Alba Orbital’s ‘Cluster 4’ mission scheduled for launch at the START of 2022 via SpaceX Falcon 9.
Wednesday 24th March, 2021 -- Glasgow, UK -- Alba Orbital and Carnegie Mellon University today announced a rideshare agreement to launch the world’s first ‘Orbital Edge Computing’ PocketQube aboard Alba Cluster 4. The mission is scheduled to launch in Q1 2022 via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket using Alba Orbital’s flight proven AlbaPod to deploy the satellites in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The Carnegie Mellon University satellite is a tiny 1P PocketQube measuring at just 5x5x5cm, designed to operate without batteries. The pico-satellite is an example of an intermittent computing platform, which is computing on a device that doesn’t always have a continuous power supply. Instead, the spacecraft’s power system has been designed to use capacitive energy storage and solar panels to run all of its main onboard systems, which include command and control, communications, power management, and software experiments.
The project is the work of a team of Ph.D. students from Carnegie Mellon University’s department of Electrical & Computer Engineering in the Abstract research lab led by Professor Brandon Lucia. The main objective of this mission is to demonstrate the viability of battery-less pico-satellites for ‘Orbital Edge Computing’.
“We are working on what’s called ‘Orbital Edge Computing’. ‘Edge Computing’ is a way of processing sensor data using computing resources that are physically co-located with sensors that collect that data. We are taking the ideas of edge computing and applying them to pico-satellites that we can easily, cheaply and rapidly deploy to orbit in large numbers," said Professor Brandon Lucia. “One of the main advantages of Orbital Edge Computing is that we can eliminate the delay between when sensor data is collected and when they are processed by computing resources that are co-located with the sensor. This makes applications that process orbital data, such as assisting disaster relief, much more responsive.”
lmage of Carnegie Mellon University’s 1P PocketQube satellite being constructed in a lab environment.
Deconstructed model of Carnegie Mellon University’s 1p PocketQube showing the satellite’s boards and chassis.
On the subject of collaborating with Alba Orbital on the upcoming launch, Professor Brandon Lucia added: “This mission is an opportunity for our students to design something that will actually go to space, allowing CMU to produce research results in a real orbital deployment environment. We are excited to collaborate with Alba Orbital and are glad to be on board for the Alba Cluster 4 launch this December.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Brandon and his team from Carnegie Mellon University again on this upcoming launch. PocketQubes are an excellent platform for education & research, as they allow more affordable access to space compared to the cost involved with cubesat missions’’ adds Tom Walkinshaw, Founder & CEO of Alba Orbital. “It’s great to see Carnegie Mellon University adopt PocketQubes into their research programs alongside Stanford University, TU Delft and other universities who we have had the privilege of working with on Alba launch campaigns’’.
Image of an AlbaConnect UHF/S-Band mobile Ground Station.
In addition to their PocketQube launch brokering service, Alba Orbital will be providing ground station support during Carnegie Mellon University’s mission via the AlbaConnect network. The Scottish satellite pioneers will also be handling licensing duties on behalf of CMU as part of Alba’s recently announced satellite licensing service.
Limited slots for Cluster 4 (Q1 2022) and Cluster 5 (Q2 2022) are still available, with prices starting from 25k euro for a 1P PocketQube launch slot. Alba Orbital provides the lowest price to launch a satellite to orbit on a reliable flight proven launch system. For more information on procuring and launching your own satellite, please visit www.albaorbital.com/launch or get in touch at contact@albaorbital.com.
Three fully integrated AlbaPod pico-satellite deployers ready for launch.
Three fully integrated AlbaPod pico-satellite deployers ready for launch.
About Alba Orbital Inc
Founded in 2012, Alba Orbital (Glasgow, Scotland) is the world’s leading PocketQube satellite manufacturer and launch broker. To date, the company has successfully deployed more PocketQube satellites in-orbit than any other organisation worldwide. Alba is a vertically integrated new-space company who are ‘democratising access to space’, providing turnkey solutions from advanced pico-satellite platforms, low-cost launch opportunities, ground station services and much more. Alba has worked with over 20 customers across three continents, including clients such as Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University and TU Delft. For more information visit www.albaorbital.com or get in touch at contact@albaorbital.com.
About Carnegie Mellon University ECE
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Carnegie Mellon’ University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is widely recognized as one of the best programs in the world. Students are rigorously trained in fundamentals of engineering, with a strong bent towards the maker culture of learning and doing. For more information visit www.ece.cmu.edu.