A University of Missouri-Rolla team ended a 24-month spacecraft design competition by placing third and taking most-improved honors.

Eleven schools were selected to participate in the competition, which was held March 27 in Albuquerque, NM. The project is designed to test new technologies that may be used in future distributed space systems missions. The competition was jointly sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

The UMR SAT team has spent the last two years designing and constructing a pair of satellites, MR SAT (Missouri-Rolla Satellite) and MRS SAT (Missouri-Rolla Second Satellite). At the beginning of the proposed mission, the two satellites are docked and only separate once in space. The pair are designed to separate and autonomously maintain a specified flight formation.

“Several advanced technologies have been incorporated into the design of both satellites such as the theta controller (developed at UMR) for orbit and attitude control, and the use of Bluetooth technology for intersatellite communication,” says team member Abbie Stewart.

The team is exploring several opportunities that student satellite projects have to obtain a launch into space. is also investigating possibilities to improve the current designs and to further test and develop the existing hardware.

Current members of the UMR SAT Team are:

• Amanda Alpaugh of Argyle, Mo., a graduate student in engineering management
• Shishir Bashyal of Rolla, Mo., a graduate student in computer engineering
• Michelle Brazel of Rolla, Mo., a senior in applied mathematics
• Mike Dancer of Poplar Bluff, Mo., a graduate student in aerospace engineering
• Andy Draper of Kansas City, Mo., a senior in applied mathematics
• Josiah Elliott of Rolla, Mo., a graduate student aerospace engineering
• Jake Hertenstein of Rolla, Mo., a senior in computer engineering
• Herman Klimmek of Sikeston, Mo., a senior in aerospace engineering
• Noah Ledford of Hockessin, Del., a senior in aerospace engineering
• David Ray Meyer of Gladstone, Mo., a graduate student in aerospace engineering
• Shawn Miller of Rolla, Mo., a graduate student in aerospace engineering
• Jennifer Moentnish of Springfield, Mo., a senior in mechanical engineering
• Chris Norgren of Wichita, Kans., a senior in applied mathetics
• Parviz Palangpour of Columbia, Mo., a senior in computer engineering
• Curtis Parrott of Springfield, Mo., a senior in electrical engineering
• Michelle Patz of St. Louis, Mo., a freshman in aerospace engineering
• Mandy Pershing of Hillsboro, Ill., a senior in aerospace engineering
• Rock Powell of Iberia, Mo., a senior in mechanical engineering
• Michelle Rader of Marshfield , Mo., a junior in aerospace engineering
• Jason Searcy of Rolla, Mo., a graduate student in aerospace engineering
• Carl Seubert of Rolla, Mo., a graduate student in aerospace engineering
• Joe Siebert of Fenton, Mo., a graduate student in aerospace engineering
• Tom Siengsukon of Rolla, Mo., a senior in mechanical engineering
• Nathan Soer of Rolla, Mo., a senior in aerospace engineering
• Abbie Stewart of Rolla, Mo., a graduate student in aerospace engineering
• Kim Stratton of Rolla, Mo., a senior in aerospace engineering
• Robert Vick of Rolla, Mo., a senior in computer science
• David Walker of Rolla, Mo., a graduate student in aerospace engineering
• Tyler Winter of Waterloo, Ill., a senior in aerospace engineering
• Lori Ziegler of Fenton, Mo., a graduate student in aerospace engineering.