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Projecte llegit

Títol: The Role of Small Satellites in Developing Countries and the Sustainable Development Goals

Estudiants que han llegit aquest projecte:

Director/a: GUTIÉRREZ CABELLO, JORDI

Departament: FIS

Títol: The Role of Small Satellites in Developing Countries and the Sustainable Development Goals

Data inici oferta: 05-02-2020     Data finalització oferta: 05-10-2020


Estudis d'assignació del projecte:
    MU AEROSPACE S&T 15
Tipus: Individual
 
Lloc de realització: EETAC
 
Paraules clau:
small satellites, sustainable development goals
 
Descripció del contingut i pla d'activitats:
Small satellites have opened a window of opportunity for many
new actors in space. In particular, they can help to achieve
some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing
countries that lack the infrastructure and know-how to set-up
a standard space mission. Following the path of technological
advancement requires, in most cases, to sidestep the standard
business-as-usual approach and the possibility of creating a
whole space mission from scratch is a particularly attractive
and efficient way to obtain hands-on experience in the space
arena.
The know-how obtained and developed during such a project can
have a multiplying effect in many Earth-bound companies
related to electronics, software, optics, to cite but a few.
Many SDGs, like Quality Education (goal 4) and Industry,
Innovation and Infrastructures (Goal 9) can benefit from such
an endeavor in a rather obvious way. Others, like Gender
Equality (Goal 5), can advance more indirectly.
This work will deal with the identification and description of
strategies for the use of small satellites for the benefit of
developing countries, as well as the Sustainable Development
Goals.
 
Overview (resum en anglès):
Smallsats will redefine the conducted technology process through low cost programs affordable for developing countries.
Africa has several natural resources to care and monitor in order to use the land and water in effective way. However, Africa is a big continent where complete coverage is a challenge, and it has several geopolitical issues as there is many countries with different technology capabilities within different skills levels.

This can be achieved by transferring technology capabilities through university led projects in small satellites with design and operate its own satellites.
This knowledge will lead to a better understanding of the capabilities of newest technologies that would, in long term, improve a local market in digital and space technologies. This market will drive the employability of the new engineers trough university in addition with local project regarding local issues and sustainability.
Concerning the transverse knowledge and teaching, this will provide new challenge for scholar taking new opportunities for local careers.

Fostering the space programs is an aim and challenge for local universities that should lead new opportunities for the new students to its professional career into technology.
The starting point should be a local issue that concern the Sustainable Development Goals of one or several countries that will open collaborations among universities and associations as a non dependant government and political concerns.
Among the different local issues, taking into account coastal countries, the fishing monitoring and water management are good approaches as piloting the development of satellite technology.

The study will be focus on the better strategies for a successfully satellite technology development in such countries. The results would be analysis under the assumptions of a low cycle design budget with short lifetime satellite with low TRL components assembly and barely Space Qualified components.
The purpose is to ensure that process understanding is a short term aim for technology transfer. Long term scenario should be leaded to a possible future manufacture of a small satellite, leading almost the whole project with African actors and stakeholders, under the supervision of the space agencies involved.

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