UWI Dr Louis-Ray Harris PEAKS nanosatellite needs CARICOM funding and NASA or SpaceX

“We believe that the development of a regional space industry will benefit the region in many respects. In addition, such a thrust is expected to yield an increased interest in science by students at all levels, particularly in areas related to space and satellite technology”

University of the West Indies, Mona, lecturer Dr Louis-Ray Harris during UWI, Mona Research Day event on Thursday February 8, 2018

Jamaica we have liftoff of the PEAKS (Programme for the Enhancement and Application of our Knowledge of Space). Soon we'll have our own satellite to send back weather maps and live updates of weather patterns of the Caribbean.

At least that is the vision of University of the West Indies, Mona, lecturer Dr Louis-Ray Harris who is developing Jamaica's first Nanosatellite as explained in the article “UWI Lecturer Working On Ja's First Operational Satellite”, published Friday February 9, 2018, The Jamaica Gleaner.

He made this declaration during UWI, Mona Research Day event, which ended Thursday February 8, 2018. He leads a team working on a satellite that they are hoping to launch into space. The team, which comprises of Jevaughn Dixon and Brandon Campbell, are also students at the University of the West Indies.

If successfully, Jamaica will become one of several Third world countries, including India, that have successfully placed a satellite in orbit.

But what exactly is the PEAKS nanosatellite?

Dr. Harris PEAKS Nanosatellite- Make this a Caribbean project and the mission is a go

The term 'nanosatellite', or 'nanosat', is applied to an artificial satellite with a wet mass between 1kg and 10kg (2.2lb and 22lb).  Approximately 1,000 nanosatellites are said to have been launched since 2014, mainly by small universities hitching a ride aboard a NASA or private sector owned launch vehicles such as Space X, owned by Elon Musk.

PEAK is powered using both a solar as well as on-board batteries. Its solar panels can also be remotely controlled from a ground station that it communicate with via a Ku-Band communication link. The earth-based mission control is really a remote server with the appropriate interface and control software to read telemetry data from the satellite and to issue commands to stay in orbit and keep it on mission.

That mission of course is to:

1.      Create weather maps of the Caribbean

2.      Produce Live updates of weather patterns of the Caribbean

It may also be used to do imaging work for Jamaica, which would be great for urban planning, as hinted by Dr Louis-Ray Harris, quote: “When launched, the satellite will be used as a tool to engage students for several programmes. It could be used to send back weather maps and live updates of weather patterns of the Caribbean, using its high-resolution cameras and other on-board instruments”.

Hopefully, if he's able to secure the necessary funding, Jamaican can get their nanosatellite into the hands of NASA or SpaceX. I said “Nanosaltellites” as the cost to launch several instead of just one is significantly less, given the nature of the payload.

Also, one satellite might not do, a constellation of them may be needed to do the work that Dr. Harris has in mind.

Most likely, this may become a Caribbean wide effort powered by CARICOM (Caribbean Common Community) as hinted by Dr. Harris, quote:  “It is the first in a series aimed at putting Caribbean technology into space and to generate interest in the application of science and technology”.

Once it becomes CARICOM, the vision will be shared...and the funding will become available.