HEDGE-2: Hypersonic Reentry Deployable Glider Experiment 2; How Amazon's Project Leo Is Shaped by the People and Systems Behind It 5 views

Technical Project Abstract The Hypersonic ReEntry Deployable Glider Experiment 2 (HEDGE-2) is an undergraduate capstone project focused on testing whether CubeSat satellites can be used as a cheaper way to conduct hypersonic research. Hypersonic research is the study of vehicles and technology that travel at Mach 5 or faster which means at least five times the speed of sound. This field has grown a lot in both commercial and defense aviation because traveling at such high speeds can dramatically cut down travel times and open up new possibilities for how we move people and technology around the world. Despite its potential hypersonic research is extremely expensive and difficult to get funding for which makes it very hard for universities and smaller research teams to contribute to the field. HEDGE-2 directly addresses that problem by exploring whether CubeSat technology can serve as a more affordable platform for hypersonic experimentation. CubeSats are small standardized satellites that cost much less than traditional spacecraft which makes them a realistic option for research teams with limited budgets. If HEDGE-2 proves that useful hypersonic data can be collected through this kind of low-cost hardware it could open the door for more universities and research groups to get involved in a field that has mostly been limited to well-funded government and defense programs. Beyond the research itself HEDGE-2 also gives undergraduate students the chance to work through a full mission cycle from design to deployment. The project is split into three subteams that each handle a critical part of the system. The structures team is responsible for the physical design of the deployable including the forebody the fins and the chassis that holds all the components together. The avionics team is focused on building the printed circuit boards that will collect flight data relay it back to the ground and keep the system powered throughout the mission. The aerodynamics team runs computational fluid dynamics simulations to verify that HEDGE-2 is aerodynamically viable in its current configuration and can actually survive the conditions of hypersonic flight. STS Research Paper Abstract Amazon's Project Leo is a planned constellation of over 3,000 Low Earth Orbit satellites designed to bring broadband internet to communities that have never had reliable connectivity. This paper argues that the project is shaped not by Amazon alone but by a wide network of people and systems whose different interests determine what the project actually becomes. Using Actor-Network Theory and Technological Momentum as its two main frameworks the paper looks at how Amazon's leadership and its Day 1 culture push the company to move fast and stay focused on the customer while also running a data-driven business model that could make communities dependent on Amazon in the long run. The FCC and ITU are identified as the key regulatory gatekeepers since no satellite can launch without their approval which creates slowdowns that clash directly with Amazon's fast-moving culture. Engineers and launch providers play a role in shaping the project too but developing-nation governments are especially important in determining whether communities get fair pricing and data protections. The paper also looks at the non-human side of the network including the satellites and ground gateways and explains how the design choices built into these systems today will be very hard to change later. Two major challenges are also discussed which are market competition that might push Amazon to prioritize wealthier regions over the ones that actually need service the most and environmental risks like rocket emissions and Kessler Syndrome where a chain reaction of satellite collisions could make parts of low Earth orbit unusable for generations. The paper concludes that Leo has real potential because Amazon's financial goals and its humanitarian goals actually support each other but whether the project delivers on its promises depends on whether the right people hold Amazon accountable as the satellites keep launching. Synthesis of Technical and STS Research Paper At first HEDGE-2 and Project Leo seem like completely different things. One is a small student project trying to prove that cheap hardware can do serious hypersonic research and the other is a multi-billion dollar satellite network trying to connect the world. But both projects are ultimately asking the same question which is whether expensive and hard to access technology can be made more reachable by being creative about how it is built. HEDGE-2 approaches that by using CubeSats as a low-cost platform and Project Leo approaches it by using low earth orbit satellites to reach communities that have never had reliable internet. Both projects also show that early design decisions are very difficult to change later whether that is a fin placement on a deployable or an orbital parameter that determines who gets coverage for decades. In both cases the technology is only part of the story and the people behind it determine whether it actually works.

BS (Bachelor of Science)

Megaconstellation; Hypersonic

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, Saba Niknam, Nand Patel, Humza Rubel, Tristan Scott, Logan Tolbert, Edison Wong, Christian Wright

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2026-05-11