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Satellites offer interesting opportunities for students to learn at a motivating example interdisciplinary system design and integration. Pico-satellites offer at the mass of 1 kg challenges for high system integration. This paper addresses in particular the design of a suitable attitude control system within the given severe constraints.

This paper describes the feasibility and conceptual design of a lighter than air craft to be used for educational and research purposes at the University of Siegen. This project allows a large number of students to work together on a multidisciplinary mechatronic design in the fields of control, communication, aerodynamics and structural techniques. Together with mobile robots the airship will be part of a multi robot team remotely controllable via internet.

Skipper is a joint US-Russian spacecraft designed for monitoring electromagnetic 'bowshock' emissions in the ultra violet and visible spectrum of the earth's upper atmosphere. To accomplish this, Skipper must penetrate the upper atmosphere in highly elliptical orbits, completing its mission by taking and transmitting data during reentry. The attitude control system for Skipper must properly orient the science instruments, maintain stability, perform precessional maneuvers and determine attitude and control orbit transfer burns. Skipper is configured as a minor axis, spin-stabilized spacecraft. The control system design consists of four major components: the command and control subsystem, the active stabilization subsystem, the attitude determination subsystem, and the maneuver control subsystem. This paper describes the attitude control system design, hardware, software and ground support requirements for this mission. Actual mission performance is discussed.