I am working this summer with MSU's Space Science and Engineering Laboratory as part of the 2010 Solar and Space Physics REU program, sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation. As I continue the REU, I will update this webpage with detailed descriptions of my current projects, keep a progress log, and include a final presentation.

Current project - TBR:

• FIREBIRD Project - MATLAB Simulation
  • Exploring the controlled separation of cubesat satellites undergoing differential drag
    • Modifying mass to change ballistic coefficient
  • Using passive attitude control to change cross-sectional area/ballistic coefficient
  • Understanding attitude stabilization via hysteresis
  • Find time for satellites to fully stabilize given structure of hysteresis materials

Technical Proposal - FIREBIRDProposal.pdf

Older Project Documentation (2009) - FIREBIRD_Orbit_Sim_2009 - Ian Lyon.pdf

My project mentor is Dr. David Klumpar.