science

STRaND-1

STRaND-1 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand STRaND-1 rather than just read about it. In short: STRaND-1 (Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator 1) is a failed 3U CubeSat developed by Surrey University's Surrey Space Centre (SSC) and Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL). The 4.3 kg (9.5 lb) nanosatellite was launched into orbit on board a PSLV Rocket from India on February 25, 2013, Smartphones have flown in space before inside the International Space Station, and the computer from a PDA launch…

Key takeaways

STRaND-1 belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect STRaND-1 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of STRaND-1 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

STRaND-1 (Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstrator 1) is a failed 3U CubeSat developed by Surrey University's Surrey Space Centre (SSC) and Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL). The 4.3 kg (9.5 lb) nanosatellite was launched into orbit on board a PSLV Rocket from India on February 25, 2013, Smartphones have flown in space before inside the International Space Station, and the computer from a PDA launched inside two Japanese CubeSats in 2006 and 2008. STRaND-1 initially operated with a conventional CubeSat computer before it was supposed to be switched over to an on-board Android-based Nexus One smartphone, but the conventional computer stopped communicating before the switch-over could start. As a result, NASA's PhoneSats (Alexander, Graham and Bell) were the first smartphone satellites to work in space, despite having been launched two months later than STRaND-1. The satellite was found broadcasting telemetry again in June 2013, after a two-month silence. There are no reports of any instrument being turned on.

Design and operation STRaND-1 is operated by two computers: one is the classic CubeSat computer and second is a Google Nexus One smartphone running the Android operating system. There was a public contest in August 2011 to create "space apps" to run on various satellite smartphones, including NASA's PhoneSat series. The winning Android app entries for STRaND-1 included an app for magnetic field measurements, satellite telemetry display, an Earth imaging application called 360 App, as well as one app which is purported to allow users to see people scream in space, although the smartphone never properly turned on and the developed apps were never used. The smartphone was intended to provide cameras, accelerometers and high-performance computer processors - almost everything except solar panels and propulsion. During the first phase of the mission, STRaND-1 was intended to use a number of experimental apps to collect data, while a new high-speed Linux-based CubeSat computer developed by SSC takes care of the satellite. During phase two the STRaND team intended to switch the satellite's in-orbit operations to the smartphone, thereby testing the capabilities of a number of standard smartphone components in a space environment. However, the smartphone on board STRaND-1 was never able to turn on, and was not used to control the failed satellite before the computer unexpectedly turned off in March 2013 (phase two was not turned on at this time, and the smartphone never turned on or functioned). On July 23, 2013 Mike Rupprecht DK3WN received signals from the UK STRaND-1 satellite after a near four-month absence.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with STRaND-1

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what STRaND-1 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to STRaND-1 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about STRaND-1 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of STRaND-1

In research: STRaND-1 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses STRaND-1 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: STRaND-1 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Communications satellites, CubeSats, Spacecraft launched in 2013, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for STRaND-1 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study STRaND-1 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what STRaND-1 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain STRaND-1 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is STRaND-1 in simple terms?

Why does STRaND-1 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study STRaND-1?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on STRaND-1.