On March 11th, space shuttle Endeavour carried aloft an experiment designed, built, and tested by students at the Air Force Institute of Technology. The RIGEX project, which stands for Rigidizable Inflatable Get–Away–Special Experiment, is designed to test and collect data on inflatable and rigidizable structures in space. Current satellites and their accompanying antennas are often limited in size due to limited launch vehicle dimensions. Success of this technology would help alleviate some of the size limitations for future space missions.

The experiment was the collective thesis effort of multiple AFIT students as part of their degree requirements towards a Master of Science degree in engineering. “Each student involved in this project was able to take their specific academic discipline and apply it to the overall objectives of the project,” stated Dr. Richard Cobb, the AFIT professor who led the student team through all phases of design and test of the experiment. The project involved multiple students from the Aeronautical, Astronautical, Electrical, and Systems Engineering programs. “Having specific technical objectives helped focus the student research, and knowing that their results would eventually fly in space kept their interest high,” said Dr. Cobb. The hands-on nature of this effort enhanced the academic experience of many of the students.

The students were responsible for all aspects of the experiment design, including test, verification, and safety documentation. They worked closely with DoD’s Space Test Program at the Johnson Space Center to make sure their design satisfied all the NASA requirements for manned spaceflight. In addition to the AFIT students, which included members of the Air Force and Navy, the team also included several summer intern students, co-op students, and laboratory support technicians, including students from the US Air Force Academy, University of Dayton, Wright State University, Rose-Hulman, and the Ohio State University.

The experiment was designed to be fully automated, incorporating only a single set of status lights indicting when the experiment is operating and when it is complete. On orbit, the astronauts will simply power on the experiment, which is currently planned to occur just prior to the crew rest period that starts at 00:30 on the 24th of March. The AFIT team is anxiously awaiting the results of the experiment, which won’t be available until after the shuttle lands and RIGEX is removed from the cargo bay and returned to Wright-Patterson. Members of the AFIT team will be at the Kennedy Space Center in early April to assist with removal of RIGEX from the shuttle.

RIGEX represents the first-ever designed/built/tested space flight experiment for AFIT. What’s next? The AFIT faculty and students have already started plans on their next space experiment. As part of AFIT’s satellite design course, current students are conducting preliminary satellite designs to launch a novel chromotomography scanner into low earth orbit for remote sensing.

RIGEX was integrated and flown under the direction of DoD’s Space Test Program.