Engineering Professor and Student Recognized for Contributions to Astronautics

Po-Hao Adam Huang, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and his former graduate student, Kyle Godin, have received awards from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for their research on satellite propulsion. Huang was awarded the Abe M. Zarem Educator Award and Godin received the Abe M. Zarem Award for Distinguished Achievement.

One of Huang’s research goals is to create small satellites, known as nano satellites, that can fly in formation. These satellites, which are about the size of a grapefruit, could travel in low earth orbit in large groups and take distributed measurements. Comparing the different data from these satellites would reveal information that scientists currently have no way to measure, like wind velocity profile in this region.

“Typically a satellite is large and very expensive,” explained Huang. “So if I wanted to measure ten different locations simultaneously, it would be cost prohibitive.”

Godin’s project focused on developing a solid state gas generator, using micro- and nano-scale fabrication principles, that can orient small satellites. This tiny device uses a localized heat source to release small bursts of nitrogen gas, which then provides the agile attitude control needed during orbital maneuvers. These gas generator cells are scalable and can be mass fabricated on chips, so each satellite can incorporate as many as it needs.

Godin’s research solved a large challenge in the fabrication of these generators—how to fill their tiny cells with the correct mixture of reactants. Unlike other similar devices, which must be filled one at a time, Godin’s generators can be filled thousands at a time, simply by dipping them into a pre-mixed solution using wetting and de-wetting phenomenon.

Godin completed his master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2011, and he is currently a doctoral candidate at Stevens Institute of Technology.