The House That Space Science Built: A Look Inside the ULyS3ES Facility

19 Oct 2020 10:39 AM

In August 2019, we saw a new breakthrough for the local space science and technology scene as the inauguration of the University Laboratory for Small Satellites and Space Engineering Systems (ULyS3ES) took place at the University of the Philippines Diliman. It is an interdisciplinary facility that serves as a pioneering academic hub for research & development, as well as for instruction innovations in local space technology.

Constructed for the Space Technology and Applications Mastery, Innovation, and Advancement (STAMINA4SPACE) Project implemented by UP Diliman and the DOST Advanced Science and Technology Institute (DOST-ASTI), ULyS3ES is visualized to be the hub for university space research innovation and collaboration. It aims to strengthen space R&D and help develop space-centric undergraduate and graduate curricula which can be incorporated by other universities in the future.

A hub for all small satellite development

Housed within Building 1 of the facility (ULyS3ES – 1) are office and research spaces that can be hubs for those specializing in electrical and electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, environmental science, and space studies. ULyS3ES – 1 was designed to encourage collaboration across these varying fields.

Currently, the researchers from the Space Science and Technology Proliferation through University Partnerships (STeP-UP) and Localizing the Diwata-1,2 Bus System as the Country’s Space Heritage 50kg Microsatellite Bus (PHL-50) Projects under the STAMINA4Space Program occupy some of these shared spaces, working on bus and nanosatellite design and development.

Housed in the 2nd Floor of ULYS3ES - 1 are the Researchers’ Shared Spaces

The research facilities housed in ULyS3ES – 1 include equipment for functional testing of small satellite components and integrated systems, clean booths for small satellite assembly, and a thermal-vacuum chamber for space environment testing of nanosatellites and rapid prototyping equipment. Furthermore, the building also stands as home to the Engineering Model (EM) of the Diwata-2 microsatellite and the Flight Model (FM) of the Maya-1 nanosatellite.

The ULYS3ES – 1 Research Laboratory is where tests and assembly of components can be done.

Thermal-Vacuum Chamber

“Clean Booths”

Rapid Prototyping Equipment

Amateur Radio and Satellite Station 

A new learning base for budding space tech champs

Building 2 of the facility (ULyS3ES – 2) houses some testing facilities for small satellite components and systems, including a Full Anechoic Chamber (FAC) and a temperature and humidity test chamber.

For learning purposes, it also houses a conference room, a classroom, and a reconfigurable workspace – including a “clean booth” for nanosatellite assembly.

The Full Anechoic Chamber (FAC) inside ULyS3ES – 2 is a facility for measuring antenna radiation patterns. Since antennas stand as the middleman in spacecraft communication, the FAC is instrumental in showing the capability and performance of the antenna providing wireless range and coverage.

The FAC can accommodate antennas weighing up to 75 kg and measuring up to 1.4 meters in diameter. Furthermore, it also uses an antenna measurement software housed in an electromagnetically shielded Faraday cage, meaning that TV and radio stations, as well as other external sources, are unable to enter. Its specially treated pyramidal foam absorbers dissolve the intruding radio signals emitted by the devices-under-test, preventing reflection of the radio waves and providing a free-space broadcast environment inside the chamber.

In the context of satellite development, this is important as such innovation enables a faster development cycle for the communication systems used by the satellite.

The development of a centre such as ULYS3ES is a vital step as we move forward in solidifying space research and development in the country – most especially now with the Philippine Space Agency up and running. The idea of building a proudly Filipino space technology hub, targeted to serve industry rookies and pros alike, definitely sets our vision in perspective.

Photo Credits to DOST-ASTI and the STAMINA4SPACE Program