Abstract
The Hypersonic Re-Entry Deployable Glider Experiment 2, or HEDGE-2, is designed around a mission to demonstrate the low-cost capability of CubeSat-based hypersonic flight in advancing hypersonic research. Through a RockSat launch at NASA Wallops Flight Facility, our team is deploying a hypersonic glider from a sounding rocket to study how it behaves during hypersonic reentry. As the vehicle goes through its descent, it collects real-time data such as pressure, temperature, velocity, and altitude, helping us better understand the complex flow conditions that occur at these extreme speeds all through the transmission of data to a ground station.
During the design process, many situations were accounted for, including the harsh conditions of the upper atmosphere, so the payload is fabricated to withstand high acceleration, temperatures up to 500 °F, and speeds approaching Mach 5. The system includes an avionics stack that handles power, data collection, and communication, along with a deployment mechanism that safely releases the glider in flight. Learning from last year’s model, we made improving telemetry reliability one of our paramount objectives since there was a loss of transmitted data in the previous flight.
Beyond the technical work, HEDGE-2 reflects how real engineering projects are carried out. The team follows industry-level processes, including design reviews and a design and fabrication cycle. At the same time, the HEDGE-2 opportunity provides students with hands-on experience that directly applies to aerospace engineering.
Overall, HEDGE-2 also helps make hypersonic research more accessible by showing the low-cost ability of CubeSat technology and proving what student teams can achieve. This mission opens the door for future innovation while helping train the next generation of engineers.
Over the past two decades, space has become a lot more accessible, largely because of smaller and more affordable satellite platforms. CubeSats were originally created to give students and universities the ability to engage in aerospace research directly without dealing with major expense barriers. Over time, the same features that made CubeSats simple and accessible also made them easy to scale. As a result, they didn’t stay in the classroom for long and are now widely used by commercial companies, government agencies, and even defense organizations.
HEDGE-2 is an example of the original purpose of CubeSats. It shows how students can take part in real hypersonic research and work towards their career goals. At the same time, it’s not just a standalone project. As the STS analysis shows, systems like HEDGE-2 exist within a much larger network that includes data systems and institutions that shape how space is used.
This highlights a main underlying issue that engineering decisions have sociotechnical effects and are not purely technical. Design choices like affordability, modularity, and scalability can end up influencing who has access to space, can collect data, and holds power. From that perspective, HEDGE-2 is both a technical advancement and part of a growing infrastructure.
Thus, the advancements in technology, even from student-based projects, can lead to broader impacts on the worldwide growth of technology and access to space.
HEDGE-2 and the evolution of CubeSat technology are heavily connected in more ways than one. The same features, such as affordability and modularity, that allow student teams to design and launch real flight systems also allow CubeSats to scale into much larger networks. This is a clear demonstration of how even the smallest of projects can evolve into having greater sociotechnical impacts.
HEDGE-2 is an example of how the principles of standardized technology and ease of access create opportunities for hands-on learning and meaningful research in hypersonic flight. However, these same characteristics also support integration into commercial, governmental, and defense-related systems when seen from the scope of the broader development of CubeSats. Another major issue that is recurring from the advancement in space technology is the lack of regulation on who controls space as a whole and the data that is collected. This brings up an aspect of the disruption of civilian privacy.
This connection reinforces the idea that engineering work exists within a larger sociotechnical system. Decisions made during the design process, especially those based around efficiency and scalability, can influence the way visibility and data access are affected as the technology grows. In this way, HEDGE-2 reflects both innovation at the student level and participation in a broader system that continues to expand access to space while also shaping its future use.
Notes
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering
Technical Advisor: Chris Goyne
STS Advisor: Joshua Earle
Technical Team Members: Elizabeth Armstrong, Olivia Sauber, Hannah Soberman, Gaby Flores, Zachary Davis, Rishika Deshmukh, Saba Niknam, Christian Wright, Humza Rubel, Tristan Scott, Logan Tolbert, Edison Wong
