Hey Look! You found Dan Schwendtner's 2005 REU Web page!

So here's the scoop. I'm working in the Space Science and Engineering Lab (SSEL) at Montana State University on a satellite.


Details:

My project has been to design and build the antenna housing for Electra: A Barnacle satellite. You can read more about Electra by visiting the SSEL homepage (see Related Links below).  The first 2-3 weeks of my summer here I spent learning Solidworks which is used for designing parts and making machinist drawings.  Here are some cool looking practice parts I made using Solidworks' on line tutor.


candlestick holder
Stove handle
Candlestick holder
Stove handle

Door stop Pressure Plate
Microphone housing
Door stop
Pressure plate
Microphone housing


Once I had a good feel of the program I began designing the antenna housing and making machinist drawings. Once they were approved, I milled them in the physics machine shop and tested them.  The design has gone through several revisions, but the final product is b-e-a-utiful.  I have not included these pictures here, but you can see them in my Slide Show for a more detailed description.



Related Links:
       Montana State University
       Space Science and Engineering Lab (SSEL)
          - Electra: A Barnacle Satellite

       Dan's 2004 REU Web page
       Augsburg College