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FRESH STUDENT PROGRAM

The brief report on fresh student program 2016 is shown in the other web page

Ever April, many fresh students come to Satellite Lab. They have much hope such that "I want to develope a satellite&, "I will get a job on space development", "I want to do something related to space". However, it it obvious that they can not develop a satellite only with the willing "I want to develope a satellite!". If they were senior students studying aerospace engineering, they could join the satellite development with their basic knowledge and skills and their strong will, but it is probably quite difficult for fresh students who do not have minimum knowledge and skill.

In Satellite Lab, the graduate students had been seeking a good training program for fresh students to learn the basis of the satellite development since around 2008 when SEEDS-II was launched and the development of SPROUT started. They established a program in FY2010 [1-4]. THe contenst of the training program in FY2011 is as follows:

MonthStageContenst
AprilGudance Guidance of Koukuu Uchuu Koubou
Fresh students participate in the guidance of Koukuu Uchuu Koubou orgamized by our department, listen to the introduction of the projects such as Human Powered Aircraft Project, Flying Robot Project, Rocket Study Group, Nihon University Original Jet Engine Project, and Satellite Lab.
Satellite Lab Guidance
Fresh students listen to the explain about the activies in Satellite Lab and the contents and schedule of fresh student progmram to decide to join or not join Satellite Lab.
Start of Satellite Lab Discussion, Introduction of Nihon University satellites
The fresh students participate in "Satellite Lab Discussion" held at 5pm in every Friday, in which the member repots the progress of the projects and discuss about the projects. They come to understand the situation of Satellite Lab through the activity report by older students and the explanation about the detail of the inside of SEEDS-II and the operation of SEEDS-II.
MayFirst Stage
(Lecture and small workshop)
Workshop on circuit design software and data sheet of electrical parts
The fresh students master how to use the circuit design software and take the lecture on how to understand the data sheet of elactrical parts in order to design and manufacture electric circuit boards by theirselves.
Programming workshop
The fresh students take the lecture on the programming of PIC micro-controller and challenge the programming using PIC board and their laptop PC.
PCB prototyping machine workshop
The fresh students participate in the workshop on PCB prototype using the milling machine placed in the workshop room of Mirai-Hakase-Koubou, and mill a sample PCB.
Soldering and tools workshop
The fresh students take the lecture on the soldering and machining tools, and make a sample PCB.
Lecture on Satellite Design
The fresh students take a brief lecture on the design and manufacturing of several kg class nano-satellite.
Workshop on PCB check using constant voltage power supply and tester
The fresh students examine their PCBs using a constant voltage power supply and a electric tester. Through this process, they understand how to check and debug the PCB.
(check test) Check test
The fresh students take the test about the contents of the workshop and the lecture that they have taken. They should pass the test with full points if they want to proceed the second stage. They can take the test a few times.
JuneSecond Stage
(Guidance)
Second Stage Guidance
The fresh students listen to the explanation about the contents of the second stage and decide to join or not to join the second stage.
(Indivisual subject) Indivisual subject on making a circuit board with micro-controller and LED lightening
Every fresh student makes a circuit board to lighten the LEDs and lighten them as they like. The older students check their program and PCB. If they pass the check, they can proceed to the group subject.
July (Group subject) Group subject on circuit board with micro-controller, dynamic lightening of segmented LED, AD converter, and ROM
Every three (or two) students make a group, and make a PCB that have the function of the dynamic lightening of 7 segmented LED, fyrect input of sensor data using AD converter, and storage to on-board EEPROM, and make a program for PIC micro-controller. After they confirm each function works well, they make a program that combines the above three functions.
(Term-end exam)
August Deadline of group subject
The fresh students continue the group subject of the second stage and make up the PCB. Then, the older students check the board and the program. If they pass the ckeck, they finish the second stage.
(Japanese Bon vacation)
Third Stage Third Stage Guidance
The fresh students start the CanSat Project. They make a 350ml sized CanSat. At first, they make a few group, participate in the guidance, and confirm the schedule and the detail of the regulation of the project. Then, each group starts the discussion about the mission.
September MDR/SDR
The fresh students determine the mission and consider the detail definition of the mission such as what their CanSat realizes, what the significance and the value of the mission, and what is required for the system. They have the presentation in front of the older students and the faculties, i.e. we have the MDR (Mission Definition Review) and SDR (System Definition Review) simulteneously.
October BBM
The fresh students develop the BBM (Bread Board Model) and verify wheter their mission is feasible to their CanSat. If they do not verify their mission and the system by checking various points, they will have trouble later.
PDR
The fresh students confirm using BBM that their CanSat system is feasible, and hold PDR (Preliminary Design Review). They demonstrate their mission by using their BBM, and try to prove that their system can achieve the mission. All the member including the fresh students and older students discuss about the feasibility of their CanSat. If the member think some additional verification is necessary, the fresh students conduct it, and hold an additional review (ΔPDR). If all the member think their CanSat is feasible, they pass the PDR.
November CDR
The fresh students make the EM (Engineering Model) and conduct the functional test. They repeat the improvement and the test, they complete the EM. Then, they have CDR (Critical Design Review). In the CDR, all the member discuss about their CanSat same as the PDR, and sometimes they hold ΔCDR, and finally they pass the CDR. After that, they refurbish the EM and complete the FM (flight model) or they newly make the FM if they have enough budget and time.
Balloon experiment
The fresh students conduct the final experiment at last. They conduct the balloon experiment at Futawa ground of Nihon University. The older students prepare for the balloon and the experiment field so that the fresh students focus on the preparation of their CanSats. THe key to success is to prepare and check the work procedure and the experiment sequence enough.
December Posteriori experiment, Debrief meeting, Self-evaluation sheet, and Final report
According to the balloon experiment result, the fresh students conduct the posterioir experiment, and participate in the annual debrief meeting of Satellite Lab. They have the presentation on the whole the project from the beginning to the balloon experiment result. They make their self-evaluation sheets and the final project reports. Then, the project concludes.
January(Term-end exam)
February, MarchFinish Objectives of next fiscal yaer's activity
Each fresh student determines the objectives of the next fiscal year's activity. Then, the fresh student program is completed.

This fresh student program consitst of students. Not only the trainees but also the coarches are students. Such a program involves a difficulty in repeating every year, which is, in a word, to become routine. If the strong will and hope of the original member (program developers) are succeeded to the program, it will work well. But they are not always succeeded, but only the format of the program is often succeeded. Then, both the coarches and the trainees do not possibly understand the core (philosophy) of the program, and they follow the past program without any consideration. We think the repeat of the same program should be at most two years.

Honestly, we would like to proceed the program with the fresh students who have the will to "do something in Satellite Lab" and take action sponteneously rather than to provide the program to all the fresh students including those who join Satellite Lab jus for fun and will drop Satellite lab shortly. We would like to motivate each other. To realize such a situation, we modify the fresh student program every year. The following table summarizes the fresh student program since FY2010.

FYResult (until FY2015)
FY201535 fresh students joined Satellite Lab. The fresh student program started in the middle of May. The small workshops, the hands-on training using Hepta, lecture the development and operation of real satellites, i.e. SPROUT and NEXUS, the operation of SEEDS-II, and the data analysis are included in the program. Thus the program includes the hands-on training and the workshop on the development and operation of real satellites. 26 students proceeded to the second stage so far. The fresh students will aim to achieve a certain project until the end of FY2016.
FY201412 students joined Satellite Lab. After the Second Stgage, 5 students started Hepta training course, and other 7 studennts started a study session on the besis of satellite engineering to apply Satellite Design Contest. Those activities quiet down in summer 2015.
FY201333 students joined Satellite Lab. After the Second Stage, 20 students proceeded to the Third Stage (CanSat Project) and 1 students joined SPROUT project. In FY2014, almost students left Satellite Lab and joined other programs such as the rocket research group and astronomy. In the beginning of FY2015, 5 students remain in Satellite Lab and joined NEXUS project and/or operation of SPROUT.
FY2012 36 students hoped to join Satellite Lab. In thid year, we imposed them to have the presentation about their action plan at Satellite Lab Discussion (a meeting held at 5pm in every Friday). Then, 10 students joined Satellite Lab. After the Second Stage, 4 students started the CanSat project. They finished the project in the autumn of 2013. After FY2014, two students join Satellite Lab. One of them is the leader of the fresh student program in 2015.
FY2011 15 students joined Satellite Lab. 12 students proceeded to the Third Stage (CanSat project). They made two teams and developed their CanSats. They conducted the balloon experiment in November, and had the presentations in the annual meeting of Satellite Lab in December as the conclusion of the CanSat project. In FY2012, 5 students left Satellite Lab and joined the flying robot project or rocket research group. Other 7 students continued Satellite Lab to apply to Satelite Design Contest. In FY2013, they applied to the contest and won the Astronomical Society of Japan Award and the Best Model Craft Award. The continued Satellite Lab in FY2014 and FY2015, and proceed the NEXUS project and the operation of SPROUT.
FY2010 20 students joined Satellite Lab. 18 students proceeded to the Second Stage, and 13 students proceeded to the Third Stage (CanSat project). They made two teams and developed their CanSats. They conducted the balloon experiment in November and had the presentations in the annual meeting of Satelite Lab in December as the conclusion of the Third Stage. 9 students continued Satellite Lab. 7 students conducted a project developing a rover autonomously running to the target point. They conducted the final experiment in July 2012, and had a presentation as the conclusion of the project. After that, 5 students left Satellite Lab and joined the astronomy program or jet engine project. In FY2013, 4 students continued Satellite Lab and joined NEXUS project or SPROUT project. Three students continued Satellite Lab in FY2014 and FY2015.

[References]
[1] 早瀬亮,池田雅央,伊藤美樹,井上祥子,藤井大輔,亀村裕之,「超小型人工衛星開発における新入生研修プログラムに対する取り組み」,第54回宇宙科学技術連合講演会講演集,JSASS-2010-4462,pp.1-6,2010年11月17日−11月19日,静岡県コンベンションアーツセンター「グランシップ」,静岡.
[2] 井上祥子, 藤井大輔, 亀村裕之, 相浦啓司, 屋宮拓海, 斉藤美幸, 間戸場包弥, 「超小型衛星開発の技術継承における新入生教育の試み」, pp.1-19, UNISEC Space Takumi Conference, 平成23年12月9日−12月10日, 九州工業大学, 2011.
[3] 亀村裕之, 藤井大輔, 井上祥子, 相浦啓司, 屋宮拓海, 斉藤美幸, 間戸場包弥, 荒木友太, 宮崎康行, 安藤恵美子, 秋山演亮, 「Cansat トレーニングプログラム CLTP2 の開催報告」, 第 20 回スペース・エンジニアリング・コンファレンス, B6, pp.1-5, 平成24年1月26日−1月27日, ホテルクレセント, 仙台.
[4] Shoko INOUE, Daisuke FUJII, Hiroyuki KAMEMURA,Keiji AINOURA, Takumi OKUMIYA, Miyuki SAITO, Katsuya MATOBA, "An Investigation into the Training of Freshman for the Transfer of Technology in the Development of Nano-Satellite", Space Takumi Journal, Vol.3, No.3, pp.40-62, November 14, 2012.

College of Science and Technology, Nihon University
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Space Structure Systems Laboratory
College of Science and Technology, Nihon University
7-24-1 Narashinodai, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8501, Japan
e-mail: asel (at) forth.aero.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp