SunbYte I

The first generation of SunbYte was completed under the REXUS/BEXUS 25 programme by the European Space Agency.

On

REXUS/BEXUS programme

The REXUS/BEXUS programme is realised under a bilateral agency agreement between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB).

The Swedish share of the payload has been made available to students from other European countries through the collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA).

Experts from DLR, SSC, ZARM and ESA provide technical support to the student teams throughout the project. EuroLaunch, the cooperation between the Esrange Space Center of SSC and the Mobile Rocket Base (MORABA) of DLR, is responsible for the campaign management and operations of the launch vehicles.

Technical details

The solar telescope design will be based upon a Raspberry Pi optical telescope called PiKon, developed by one of our team advisors, Mark Wrigley, and AiryLab EdgeHD 800 HaT Solar Telescope System developed by Astrograph Ltd.

The new design is step further than PiKon as it will utilise larger mirrors, specialist optical filters and a higher resolution camera to increase the quality of the data.

A sensor and motorised system will detect and control the attitude of the telescope and the data collected will be stored on hard drives during the flight.

Intended outcomes

The assumption is that light incident upon the telescope at this altitude is less warped than light incident upon a telescope on the ground.

Resulting images from the experiment will be used to compare against industry standards and assess the viability of such a product.

Activities and updates

Project SunbYte: Launching into the stratosphere

Sixth day in SSC, Esrange. We passed our individual check and then ran interference tests with other experiments. Launch tomorrow morning, don't miss it! 19 October 2017

Fifth day in SSC, Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden, 18 October 2017

A team member working to overcome problems

Fourth day in SSC, Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden, 17 October 2017

Third day in SSC, Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden, 16 October 2017

Second day in SSC, Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden, 15 October 2017

Preparing our experiment for our BEXUS flight, Esrange Space Centre, Kiruna, Sweden, 14 October 2017

Preparing for launch campaign, assembly training at the SunbYte lab, 27 September 2017

A close up of team members assembling parts

Experiment acceptance review, we're going to launch! 20 September 2017

A group photo of the team with the reviewer

Ideas Bazaar and SunbYte presentation at the University of Sheffield, 13 September 2017
The focuser has arrived, 12 September 2017
Pitch assembly finished, 30 August 2017
Sensor integration, 27 August 2017
Vacuum test campaign in Northumbria University. The motor survived! 21-22 August 2017
Preparations for a temporal assembly for electronics vacuum testing at Northumbria University, 19-20 August 2017
iCybie has been helping Project SunbYte at the lab, 8 August 2017

Integration progress review with ZARM and ESA, 8 August 2017
Etalon has arrive, 4 August 2017
The Electrical team working at full speed to overcome the limitations of its actuation system, 28 July 2017
Materials are finished, thanks to Stuart Richards from the Diamond workshop, 28 July 2017
Telescope arrived. Thank you to Rupert at Astograph Ltd, 14 July 2017

Telescope platform is completed, 12 July 2017
Harmonic drive arrived, 10 July 2017
SunbYte outreach event, Diamond Building, Sheffield, 8 July 2017
SunbYte presentation at National Astronomy Meeting, Hull, 2-6 July 2017
A-level student Miles Soloman will join our team, 29 June 2017
Harmonic Drives and SunbYte meeting, 12 June 2017
Mockup gondola ready for testing, 6 June 2017
Critical design review, 29 May - 1 June 2017
Improved LEGO Gimbal, 21 May 2017

Pint of Science event, Sheffield, 17 May 2017

Soldering course at ESTEC, May 2017
Gimbal prototype, 23 April 2017
Second prototype, all parts for gimbal printed, 12 April 2017
STEM event for school students, Diamond Building, the University of Sheffield, 5 April 2017
Sketch of the updated gimbal prototype, 3 April 2017
Work on the prototype (60mm Halpha telescope), 31 March 2017