REXUS-BESPIN

Hey, 

I’m Nick, and I’m the head of the software team for the BESPIN project. And even if the other departments will probably disagree, we are kind of the ones who are going to make this whole project work. Without us, it would just be a very expensive assembly of aluminum, wires and plastic. ;)

Being part of the software team means being responsible not only for the onboard software, but also for the correct reception, analysis and visualization of the transmitted data through our ground station.

At the moment we are still in the design phase, which means that we are drawing a lot of diagrams and have to read through a huge amount of datasheets. 

Personally, I think what makes it so interesting to work on the software of this project, is the broad spectrum of things we get to work on. We are part of the design and implementation of the communication subsystem, the interfaces to the rocket, all the mechanical parts of our experiment, and important modules such as the GPS receiver. 

As a project group, BESPIN is very multinational and we are spread all around the globe while we work on the same experiment. Inevitably, this results in some coordination efforts that have to be taken so that all of us can contribute our part. This gives us a perfect opportunity to try out management methodologies such as SCRUM, which is widely used in modern software development. 

REXUS/BEXUS is not only about the experiment itself, it is an opportunity for us to learn, to experience new things, and to use the knowledge that we have collected thus far. I’m glad that I get to manage such a hardworking and dedicated team, where everyone tries to get involved, to learn and to thrive. 

I think that’s it from my side so far. Stay tuned for next week’s post!