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A failed experiment into orbital construction techniques has been resurrected after a group of Swedish hunters stumbled upon a capsule containing its data.
Researchers from the University of Strathclyde had abandoned hope of recovering data from their experiment, which looked at the deployment and stabilisation of a space web in micro gravity.
The “Suaineadh” experiment consisted of a square web with four corner masses contained within a nano-satellite, which spins when deployed in space in order to unfold. The technique had only been deployed by Japanese engineers before.
It is hoped the technique will be used as a foundation to produce large solar arrays and space stations in orbit. In low-gravity, unlike on earth, the web structure is strong enough to act as a base frame for robots to perform construction activities.
A rocket carrying the experiment, known as Suaineadh – or ‘twisting’ in Scots Gaelic, was launched in March 2012 from the Esrange Space Centre in Sweden. The satellite spins when deployed, acting on centrifugal forces from four corner masses. Everything was going to plan at an altitude of 90km, until the wireless link sending data suddenly dropped. The team only received a small segment of the videos, pictures and data from gyroscopes and accelerometers from the experiment
The backup plan was to recover the data from the capsule itself, which was predicted to impact in the north of Sweden. However, a search team could only locate the remains of the rocket.
Project manager for the experiment, Thomas Sinn, said: “It was very disappointing to get the rocket back and not the data. We expected to get the data from the wireless link, so there was no parachute on the experiment.
“When the experiment was found last September it was very exciting and surprising. It’s been sitting in the Swedish snow for one and a half years, so it’s also great that all the data has been recovered and to know our efforts years ago weren’t wasted.”
Researchers are now working on the post-processing of the collected data to validate deployment simulations. Such simulations can be used to develop space structures faster, without the need for expensive testing in space.
“This is a significant step forward and will allow future projects to improve the concept and help make ambitious space projects involving large structures more technically feasible,” added Sinn.