Dr. Helen Reed

The Founder of AggieSat Lab at Texas A&M, Dr. Helen Reed, served as its Faculty Advisor from 2005 to 2024. She has many years of experience (since 1993) in micro- and nano- satellite design and operations, space domain awareness, on-orbit rendezvous and proximity operations, and student programs. 

She also has many years of experience (since 1977) in boundary-layer laminar-to-turbulent transition, aerothermodynamics, and flow control over the range from low speed to hypersonic; energy efficient aircraft; quiet supersonic platform; and computational fluid dynamics. She also founded the Computational Stability & Transition Lab at Texas A&M in 2005, where she and her team of students took a lead computational role in several major experimental and flight test programs aimed at understanding, modeling, and evaluating receptivity, stability, and transition mechanisms and laminar-flow technology (including excrescence effects).

Space

Since 1993, she created and sustained meaningful, recognized systems-engineering and leadership experiences

• These were accomplished through a variety of student design projects, from soda-can-sized ‘satellites’ launched from amateur rockets, to high-altitude balloon experiments, to moon buggies, to lunar landers and Martian missions, to electric race cars, to robotics and test-beds, to satellites (up to 50 kg) launched with the Air Force and NASA. 

• These engaged any interested U.S.-person student (per Federal law) from any discipline in design-build-fly, advancing technologies for national initiatives and teaching students industry practices, all as extracurricular activities. Students were expected to develop and design in-house as much of the system as possible and defend their decisions in standard reviews. Strict adherence to industry-standard configuration management, quality assurance, safety, export control, and documentation practices was mandated.

• Undergraduate-based (freshmen through seniors), with graduate student leadership, and government and industry affiliates. Students were involved in whole design process – cradle to grave.  Multidisciplinary participation

  • Engineering – Aerospace, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical, Industrial, Mechanical, Technology; Business – Accounting, Marketing, Education, Finance, Management, Information Systems; Sciences – Mathematics, Physics, Biology; Liberal Arts – History; Journalism

• Students also gave back in numerous outreach activities to youth and lay persons.

While at Arizona State, she founded ASUSat Lab in October 1993. The lab then moved with her to Texas A&M and became AggieSat Lab in March 2005. Along with a variety of other design projects, she has been responsible for her students and Lab having delivered 2 major satellites launched with the US Air Force and 2 launched by NASA, with another to be delivered for launch in 2025 with the US Air Force/Space Force:

• ASUSat1 – 6-kg nanosatellite launched on inaugural Orbital-Suborbital Program (OSP) Space Launch Vehicle (SLV) “Minotaur” on 26 January 2000. 1993-2000.

• Three Corner Sat (3⮙Sat, 3CS) – 1st winners of University Nanosat Program (UNP). Two of three satellites (18-kg each) launched as constellation on Delta IV Heavy Demo mission on 22 December 2004. Third satellite delivered to Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, 13 March 2006. 1999-2004.

• LONESTAR Mission 1 (DRAGONSat / AggieSat2) – 5” cubesat released from Space Shuttle STS-127 on 30 July 2009. Operated on orbit for 230 days, from 20 minutes after release until 4 hours before burn-up in the atmosphere 17 March 2010. 2005-2010.

• LONESTAR Mission 2 (AggieSat4) – 50 kg satellite (AggieSat4) launched to International Space Station (ISS) on 6 December 2015 as soft stow on United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket carrying OA-4 Cygnus resupply spacecraft. Release from ISS through Japanese airlock on 29 January 2016. 2010-2018.

• AggieSat6 – Winner of UNP-10 Flight Selection Review on 15 August 2021 to proceed to Phase B satellite build, launch, and operations. Launch of 6U cubesat planned for Fall 2025. 2019-present.

 Other prior projects have included:

• STARE – Partner with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in program called STARE (Space-based Telescopes for Actionable Refinement of Ephemeris), to build and launch 3U pathfinder satellites with optical payloads. AggieSat tasks included high fidelity structural and thermal modeling.

  • NROL-36 Atlas 5 from Vandenberg, launched 13 September 2012.
  • ORS 3 Minotaur 1 from Wallops Island, launched 19 November 2013.

• The Aerospace Corporation Ground Station Network – In July and August 2012, The Aerospace Corporation partnered with AggieSat Lab to place ground station unit at Riverside (now RELLIS) campus near AggieSat Lab’s tower-based radio station.

• Aggie Recon Force / Lonestar Challenge – Sponsored by AFRL, this was a university challenge among Texas A&M, the University of Texas at Austin, and a team of 3 schools from the Minority Leaders Program. Undergrad engineering students designed, developed, and demonstrated a system for covert, in-building reconnaissance. Competition held 30 April – 2 May 2009. AggieSat Lab’s “Aggie Recon Force” team placed 1st! 2008-2009.

• MIMIC (Magnetic field Investigation of Mars by Interacting Consortia) – Nationwide students designed satellite with NASA JPL. Science based on Mars Exploration Program Assessment Group. Goal was to include all interested NASA Space Grant consortia (Helen Reed overall PI), 2002-05.

• Moon Devils – Undergrads competed in the Great Moon Buggy Race at US Space & Rocket Center. In 1999 videotape filmed on campus with Arizona State University (ASU) focus; on NASA Channel & in NASA Visitor Centers. Many design awards. 1995-2004.

• ASPIRE (ASU Students Present Interesting Research to Everyone) – “NASA Means Business” Student Competition. Grand Prize Winner 2004.  Team of journalism majors created various public service announcements and other materials for NASA to advertise its programs to lay persons, 2003-2004.