Category Archives: Amateur/Student Satellite

Amateur/Student Satellite, Education, Space Radio

Student satellite projects – July.2026

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For many decades, students in university programs have designed and built small satellites and operated them in orbit. With the arrival of standardized Cubesat designs and hardware, high school and even grade school students have joined in the smallsat fun. Such endeavors grew out of the AMSAT initiative of the amateur radio community, which launched the first non-government satellites in 1961.  (For more smallsat history, see Satellite Building in the HS archives.) Note that the term Amateur Satellites refers to the use of amateur radio bands for communications, not the quality of the satellites.

Here is a brief sampling of recent student smallsat projects and programs:

**LionCub CubeSat  built by the students of the Columbia Space Initiative waits aboard ISS for deployment into orbit: Columbia Space Initiative’s ‘Lion Cub’ satellite reaches International Space Station | Columbia Spectator – June.11.2026

On April 11, student-built satellite Lion Cub arrived at the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX rocket. The nanosatellite is scheduled to remain docked at the ISS until June 29, when it will be deployed into low Earth orbit in what Smith described as “very ceremoniously for us, kind of unceremoniously in video, it just sort of gets ejected out of a launch rail.” At that point, Lion Cub will attempt its central mission: releasing a small stuffed Roaree and photographing it against the backdrop of space.

The CubeSat team first formed in 2022, when a group of students set out to build a satellite without fully knowing how they would get it to space. In 2023, the team proposed Lioness, CSI’s larger scientific satellite mission, and secured a NASA launch contract. The team later joined a multi-university collaboration led by California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, to build Lion Cub, a smaller proof-of-concept satellite that Archer Ankrum, SEAS ’29, a member of the structures team, described as “a test to prepare ourselves” for the full process before the stakes were higher.

** Qatar grade school students learn about the design, construction, and applications of smallsats: Students explore space tech through CubeSat challenge | Qatar Tribune – June.18.2026

More than 180 Grade-8 students at Qatar Academy Doha (QAD), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), took part in the CubeSat Explorer Challenge- a hands-on learning experience organised by Boeing, INJAZ Qatar and Pure Minds Academy to spark early interest in space, satellite technology and other STEM-related careers.

“This programme didn’t just introduce students to space – it brought space to them. It’s no longer a distant concept, but an accessible, exciting career path they can pursue and build here in Qatar,” said Wael Zaoud, Boeing managing director for the Middle East and North Africa. “Qatar is steadily expanding its space capabilities and creating opportunities for the next generation of engineers and researchers. As a company that helped put the first human on the Moon, Boeing is proud to support young talent who will shape Qatar’s aerospace industry.”

The CubeSat Explorer Challenge introduced school students to the role satellites play in modern economies. Working in teams, students designed and built miniature satellite prototypes equipped with environmental sensors, programmed microcontrollers, collected live data and presented their findings. Through the experience, students gained insight into how satellite technologies support decision-making in areas such as air quality monitoring and climate research.

**  MARMOTSat CubeSat built by University of Victoria student team reaches orbit to study ionosphere: MARMOTSat takes flight: University of Victoria CubeSat launched into space | Canadian Space Agency – July.8.2026

University of Victoria's MARMOTSat satellite during integration at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). (Credit: CSA)
“University of Victoria’s MARMOTSat satellite during integration at the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)”. Credit: Canadian Space Agency

More about MARMOSat:

MARMOTSat, the second CubeSat from UVic’s Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR) and the UVic Satellite Design Team (UVSD) is set to launch in July aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The satellite has already been integrated into its deployment canister at the Canadian Space Agency, and the team expects it to reach orbit and deploy within hours of liftoff. 

Once in orbit, MARMOTSat will collect data on the structure and composition of the ionosphere, the charged layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that plays a role in everything from radio propagation to satellite navigation. Researchers are particularly interested in how the ionosphere is shifting in response to human-caused climate change, which is a connection that is still not well understood. 

** SNAPPY, the Solar Neutrino Astro-Particle PhYsics CubeSat. was developed by students and researchers at Wichita State University. The NASA funded spacecraft reached orbit on May 3, 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg AFB in California.

“The Solar Neutrino Astro-Particle PhYsics (SNAPPY) CubeSat being prepared for integration into the EXOpod Nova deployer.” Credits: NASA

** College of Charleston students built an imaging payload for a CubeSat that reached space in July: College of Charleston Small-Satellite Payload Launches to Space | Today at CofC- July.7.2026

Two College of Charleston students built ultraviolet imaging systems, one of which went to the ISS in April of 2026 and another was integrated into a Cubesat that reached orbit on July 7th:

** SPARCS ( Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat) at Arizona State University

The Star-Planet Activity Research CubeSat (SPARCS) is a small space telescope about the size and shape of a family-size cereal box, launched on SpaceX rocket into low-earth orbit on January 11, 2026.

The science mission which SPARCS will undertake is monitoring the flares and sunspot activity of low-mass stars of M and K spectral type, in the far- and near-ultraviolet to assess how habitable the space environment is for planets orbiting these kinds of stars.

See also the interview with Danny Jacobs , Professor at Arizona State’s School of Earth and Space Exploration and Josh Sink, a student working on SPARCS:  ASU students are using a toaster-size satellite to search the galaxy for habitable planets | KJZZ.org – June.15.2026

BRODIE: What have you learned by doing this? Not necessarily just about sort of the data and what it is telling you, but maybe what have you learned about things that might interest you or about yourself or about sort of the universe more broadly?

SINK: Yeah, there’s there’s so many things that I’ve learned from this project. I think the realm of satellites in general, I really didn’t understand and the potential for science. So if our little toaster that’s out in space with a telescope is able to contribute to something as big as like looking for habitable planets and things like that, I think it really put in perspective like how cool science really is and how cool space is.

And on the technical side of things, I’ve learned a whole lot of data this, satellite that, right? But I think the absolute coolest thing is just the potential for what we can actually do out there.

** CUonOrbit is Carleton University’s CubeSat Team, which is developing a satellite to detect wildfires: Inside CUonOrbit: Carleton’s Student Team Reaches New Heights | Carleton  Faculty of Engineering and Design – May.19.2026

The club brings together more than 50 students passionate about aerospace, astrophysics and space technology. Through technical projects, outreach initiatives and industry engagement, the team has built a growing presence within Canada’s space sector while giving students direct experience in mission design, systems engineering and research collaboration.

Today, the team is working on one of its most ambitious initiatives yet: the development of Carleton’s first student-led 3U CubeSat focused on wildfire detection. Alongside the CubeSat mission, CUonOrbit has also completed three high-altitude balloon launches, with a fourth mission planned for summer 2026.

** PHAT-Sat (Precision Hyperspectral Agricultural Tracking Satellite) in development by the Wildcat Space Program at Kansas State University: Oberlin student part of Wildcat Space Program satellite design at K-State | Hays Post – May.24.2026

By 2030, the PHAT-Sat project plans to launch a three-unit CubeSat equipped with advanced, hyperspectral cameras that can point toward Kansas and the surrounding region and help detect crop health anomalies. Farmers and drought managers could then analyze that satellite imagery to implement precision agriculture techniques for better irrigation, resource management and sustainability.

In the meantime, the class decided to formulate a “pathfinder” mission to PHAT-Sat by spinning off what had previously been a smaller, secondary payload into NuKAT, a two-unit satellite tentatively set to launch in 2027.

NuKAT will help validate the Microstructured Semiconductor Neutron Detector — produced by the K-State-affiliated Radiation Detection Technologies Inc. — as a viable sensor for use in the various radiation environments found in space, said Colby Johnston, principal investigator for the NuKAT mission.

** SAL-E  becomes 13th smallsat from the PolySat Lab at Cal State Polytechnic University in  San Luis Obispo to reach orbit: Student researchers loft 13th satellite from Vandenberg in latest orbital win | Mustang News – May.24.2026

Students at Cal Poly’s hands-on aerospace lab watched months of design and late-night fabrication reach orbit when their latest CubeSat rode a launch vehicle out of Vandenberg late last month. The mission not only puts a small satellite into space — it also underlines how undergraduate labs are training the next generation of engineers in real flight operations. …

… Cal Poly’s PolySat Lab — a multidisciplinary, student-run workshop that builds compact research satellites — confirmed the CubeSat reached orbit after a launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base at about 4 a.m. on March 30. Ground teams have established two-way contact and continue to track and receive data from the spacecraft.

The SAL-E mission

is named after Astronaut Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman in Space and an inspiration for women and the LGBTQ+ community. The objectives of this mission are to evaluate CPCL’s capability of designing, manufacturing, and testing a CubeSat while simultaneously providing a project management basis for future CPCL flight missions. SAL-E launched successfully on SpaceX’s Transporter 16 rideshare mission and first contact was made soon after.

The CubeSat concept was actually first developed by a collaboration between teams at Cal Poly and Stanford.

** CubeSat Demo, Space Tech Outreach Draw Students at IEEE WAMS-2026 in Narsapur | Deccan Chronicle – June.11.2026

A live CubeSat tracking demonstration and outreach sessions on space technology, healthcare and defence applications drew school students’ attention on the second day of the 5th IEEE Wireless, Antenna and Microwave Symposium (WAMS-2026) at a college in Narsapur.

**  LEOPARDSat-1 Cubesat built by the  CubeCats student group at the University of Cincinnati will soon be deployed from the ISS: Satellite built by local students set for deployment after months at space station | Local12 – July.1.2026

[CubeCats President Everett Metzler] said leaks on the International Space Station pushed back the deployment and that he only learned a few days ago it was going ahead. The deployment is the final step in a 10-year plan to deliver LeopardSat-1 from the maker space into the hands of a NASA astronaut.

“An astronaut is going put it inside of an airlock, and then put the deployer outside, and it’s going to launch into space. So, at first, it’s going to start tumbling, then it’s slowly going to detumble over time, and then after a few hours, it’s going to start and – hopefully – transmit back to us,” Metzler said.

Metzler said the satellite carries different carbon-based materials to test how they hold up against radiation in space. He said finding the right material could help make longer missions to the moon and even Mars possible.

The CubeCats’ work will continue after deployment. The group still has to record the data and is already planning its next satellite.

See also,

** KENSAT is a one person run project that will send a CubeSat

carrying an LLM into low earth orbit — designed, owned, and operated by a single individual rather than a state or a corporation. It performs inference in space, and beams the answer back to anyone listening.

The spacecraft’s owner Ken Chan has made the project open source: KENSAT, Edge-AI Compute in Orbit | GitHub. The spacecrat will run

… a large language model on-orbit. A power-gated NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano executes neural-network inference in space, and the results are downlinked over a custom UHF radio link to amateur ground stations. 

The KENSAT spacecrate will go into

… a 520 km sun-synchronous orbit and circle the planet about sixteen times a day.

On board: a tiny always-on flight computer that keeps the satellite alive, a GPU that runs the language model, a UHF radio for talking to the ground, and a small lithium battery topped up by body-mounted solar panels.

The radio antenna is a pair of tape-measure strips that spring open the moment the satellite is ejected from its deployer. No motors, no actuators, no moving parts that can fail.

This article says KENSAT could reach orbit this fall: This Home-Built CubeSat Is Launching an LLM Into Orbit | Hackster.io – July.1.2026

Getting a complex electronics project off the ground is never easy, but Ken Chan’s latest creation presents some unique challenges. That’s because Chan’s project is designed to literally get off the ground — way off. It is called KENSAT, and it is a 2U CubeSat that is scheduled to go into orbit around the Earth this fall. Perhaps the coolest thing about KENSAT is that it’s not being built in a NASA clean room, but in Chan’s home lab.

Resources:

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Let’s Go To Space:
Building a CubeSat Team through BLUE-SKY Learning
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**

Spacecraft Design for CubeSats – A Comprehensive Guide
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Amateur/Student Satellite, Space participation, Space Radio

AMSAT opens BuzzSat program for kids + Free intro book with AMSAT membership

AMSAT, the Amateur Radio in Space organization, has introduced the BuzzSat initiative, which aims

to encourage youth to pursue careers in aerospace and communications with an education science, technology, engineering art, and math (STEAM).

BuzzSat provides a set of free online courses, which currently includes:

An Introduction to Satellite Meteorology explores the many ways that NOAA satellites help meteorologists predict the immediate weather and long-term climate behavior to make our lives more enjoyable and safer. Start now by clicking on Introduction to Satellite Meteorology

Satellites and Climate Change begins with a review of the natural and man-made causes of climate change and how its impacts our lives over the short and long terms. 

Satellites and Pollution Control examines the root causes of pollution, both natural and man-made. It looks at the effects of pollution on our environment and our health. 

Several more courses will be added within the year.

Check out the BuzzSat coloring book, available as a free download.

“Satellites in Space” coloring book, free from AMSAT. Credits: AMSAT

BuzzSat designed the coloring book

… for kids with an interest in satellites and how they play a role in our modern lives.

The book is comprised of twelve 2-page spreads that show how satellites are used and the benefits they provide. Topics include satellites and:

Agriculture
Broadcasting
Communications
Climate Change
Pollution Control
Fighting Wildfires
Preserving Wildlife
Space exploration
Navigation
Meteorology
Research on the ISS
Search and Rescue

The book also includes a discussion guide for each topic. It is written for parents, group leaders or teachers who want to use the coloring books in their educational activities. But, not to worry – please use these coloring books for just plain fun.

===

AMSAT  has a deal for joining. The  Feb. 22nd issue of the AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletin says:

AMSAT is offering a limited-time promotion for new and renewing members that includes a free digital copy of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites. The promotion is being offered as AMSAT begins the 2026 membership year.

Anyone who joins or renews their AMSAT membership during the promotional period will receive a download link for the latest edition of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites in their membership confirmation email. The guide is designed to help radio amateurs understand the fundamentals of satellite operation and serves as a practical reference for both newcomers and operators returning to the hobby. Additional information about AMSAT membership is available at https://launch.amsat.org.

Cover page for “Getting Started With Amateur Satellites”. Credits: AMSAT

In addition to this limited-time promotion, AMSAT membership includes a subscription to The AMSAT Journal, access to archived issues, discounts on selected items in the AMSAT online store, and opportunities to participate in AMSAT elections, committees, awards programs, and other AMSAT activities and programs. Members may also access archived proceedings from past AMSAT Space Symposiums through the AMSAT member portal.

Beyond these tangible benefits, AMSAT membership supports the development, launch, and operation of amateur radio satellites, along with education and outreach efforts. Joining AMSAT is not just about individual benefits — it is about being part of the community that builds and operates amateur satellites for radio amateurs worldwide. As AMSAT looks ahead to 2026, the promotion helps launch another year of growth and opportunity for amateur radio in space.

Amateur/Student Satellite, Education, Space Systems

Nanoracks to deploy FEES2 picosat from the ISS

Nanoracks and GP Advanced Projects (GPAP) will soon deploy a picosat a third the size of a standard CubeSat from the International Space Station.  GPAP refers to its picosat design as a 1/3U CubeSat (10cm x 10cm x 3cm). The first demo reached orbit in 2020 and was called the Flexible Experimental Embedded Satellite  or FEES.

FEES is a 1/3U Cubesat for in-orbit demonstration and validation of electronic components.

Cubesats systems were born in 1999 as a result of the cooperation between California Polytechnic State University and Stanford University, which defined the standards of this new satellite category. Typical Cubesats have a 10x10x10 cm dimension, 1U volume and are nominally in the nanosat or picosat satellite class.

These attributes being set, Cubesats allow affordable cost launch and different applications, since they lend themselves to educational, scientific and commercial purposes.

…

More than fifteen years later than the first cubesat prototype, we knew we could go even further. This vision led us to the development a 1/3U Cubesat, miniaturising the Cubesat technology in just 30% of former volume. FEES is the result of our commitment to this project.

Incredible partners like Politecnico di Milano, Brno University of Technology, CESI, LINKIT, Laser and Pandigital joined us in the program, giving birth to a 10x10x3cm satellite with a 300g mass which has been launched into orbit in October 2020.

Here is the announcement of the deployment of second FEES satellite (FEES2) into orbit, this time from the ISS:

Nanoracks to Deploy First-Ever 0.3U CubeSat from Space Station

NOVEMBER 23, 2021 – Torino, Italy – Nanoracks Europe is on track to set a new record as the company prepares to deploy the first-ever 0.3U CubeSat from the International Space Station (ISS). The satellite, named FEES2, was developed by the Italian company GP Advanced Projects and is approximately the thickness of a cherry. It will be one of the smallest trackable objects deployed directly from the Space Station.

FEES2 (Flexible Experimental Embedded Satellite-2) is a platform for demonstrating and validating CubeSat technology in orbit. The mission will test critical satellite components, such as GPS receivers and attitude control systems that have specifically been designed for miniaturized experiments.

GP Advanced Projects (GPAP) selected Nanoracks Europe for the integration services, launch brokerage, and deployment of FEES2 in June 2021 to reach orbit quickly and efficiently. Nanoracks’ proven business model provides flexible opportunities for its customers to demonstrate innovative technologies utilizing the ISS.

Guido Parissenti, CEO and co-founder of GPAP, remarked that

“The ISS has been a sort of booster for our company’s growth. Thanks to this deployment opportunity, which we contracted just five months ago, we will reach a major milestone towards the building of the first Italian nanosatellite constellation for IoT [Internet of Things], which is our long-term goal.”

The miniaturization of space technologies is a trend that allows for broader participation in space research and for CubeSat developers to make progress more rapidly. Companies like GP Advanced Projects that are seeking to deploy small satellites might have had difficulties reaching orbit in the past due to funding or launch accommodations. This mission demonstrates that such deployments are not only possible but that they can also be completed in a very short amount of time.

To approve FEES2 for deployment from the ISS, Nanoracks performed a feasibility study with NASA to verify the satellite’s trackability and quantify its deployment parameters. After careful evaluation, FEES2 was approved for integration into a Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD). The satellite is now integrated into an NRCSD with several other CubeSats and is manifested on the 24th SpaceX Commercial Resupply (SpX CRS-24) mission to the ISS, which is planned to launch in December 2021.

“We were excited that GP Advanced Projects entrusted Nanoracks to get the job done,”

said Adriana Aiello, Systems Engineer for Nanoracks Europe.

“Of course, we were going to make this happen for GP Advanced Projects – this is our specialty. Our customers’ needs challenge us to be innovators and disruptors, and we’re proud to bring a new customer and new technology to the Space Station.”

[Nanoracks Europe’s CEO, Veronica La Regina, said,]

“This is an absolutely exciting opportunity for Nanoracks Europe to make a difference in enabling wider access to space in our community,” […] . “Nanoracks’ passion for opening space access is one of our greatest assets, and this mission proves to be yet another example of the tenacity for making new things happen.”

Nanoracks offers a variety of satellite launch opportunities, including deployments from the International Space Station, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft, the SpaceX Rideshare program, and from India’s PSLV. Learn more about Nanoracks’ satellite opportunities here.

About Nanoracks: Nanoracks, a Voyager Space Company, is the world’s leading commercial space services provider. Nanoracks owns and operates private hardware on the International Space Station and has launched over 1,300 research experiments, deployed over 300 small satellites, and owns and operates the Bishop Airlock on the ISS. Today, Nanoracks leverages over a decade of experience to develop new commercial space systems in direct response to customer needs. These space systems include converting commercial launch vehicle upper stages into functional secondary platforms, building new habitable space stations, supplying payload and crew airlock systems and services infrastructure, and more. Follow @Nanoracks on Twitter to learn more.

About GP Advanced Projects: GP Advanced Projects is an innovative SME active in both production and management of space projects. The company is developing PiCo, a picosatellite constellation dedicated to IoT data retrieval anywhere in the world. The first demonstrator satellite has been successfully deployed in March 2021.

In addition, thanks to its experience in project & innovation management, GP Advanced Projects enabled different non-space companies and institutions entering the space sector; the company is also actively engaged in scientific projects for both ESA and NASA.

For more information, visit https://www.gpadvancedprojects.com/

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===

Amsats and Hamsats:
Amateur Radio and other Small Satellites

Amateur/Student Satellite, Education, Space participation

Student and amateur CubeSat news roundup – Feb.12.2021

A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. related to student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs (find previous smallsat roundups here):

** Swiss student team aims to launch two CubeSats by 2023 for atmospheric research. The  Spacecraft Team at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) will lead the CHESS project: EPFL moves boldly into space with its CHESS satellites – EPFL

Designing a satellite and launching it into space is no run-of-the-mill project. Rather, it’s one that forever marks the early careers of the students who take part – just ask the EPFL students who designed the SwissCube, a 1U CubeSat (a small standardized unit measuring 10 cm x 10 cm) launched in 2009. Today, a new group of students, the EPFL Spacecraft Team, is taking on a new challenge. With the support of the EPFL Space Center (eSpace), they are developing a constellation of two satellites, called CHESS, that will be launched in two years. The team is currently seeking additional members and sponsors.

This ambitious project has already signed on six universities, three companies, 15 professors and 53 students.* The two satellites will work in concert; each one will be a 3U CubeSat bearing primary and secondary payloads. They will orbit at different altitudes – one will travel in a circular orbit at the low altitude of around 550 km, and the other will travel in an elliptic orbit at an altitude oscillating between 400 km and 1,000 km. The constellation will be launched in March 2023 and remain in flight for at least two years.

This project will give the students who participate each year a chance to learn about complicated space technology and gain experience working on a cross-disciplinary team. “It’s a way to learn the real-world skills required in our industry, like team management, coordination, communication and fundraising,” says Emmanuelle David, the deputy director of eSpace. “These are skills you can’t learn only from a book. And they will let the students become operational as soon as they start their first job or when and if they decide to start their own business.”

New technologies will be tested thanks to the CHESS mission. Credits: EPFL

See also EPFL to Launch New Satellites by 2023 – Azosensors.com.

** Brigham Young University “Spacecraft Selfie Cam” CubeSat makes orbit on Virgin Orbit’s first successful LauncherOne mission: BYU’s ‘Spacecraft Selfie Cams’ reach space, history-making cube-satellites deployed – ABC4.com

The science team at Brigham Young University (BYU) is finally where no Cougar has gone before, with a camera.

“Spacecraft Selfie Cam” is the nickname of BYU’s tiny cube satellites, “CubeSats” for short.

The school’s science team has made history with the tiny 6-inch space probes. For the first time, satellites designed in Provo have been successfully deployed in space.

About 60 students worked on the NASA funded project over a five year span:

BYU is part of a NASA project where the directive is, “The PICs mission will demonstrate low-risk, low-cost, spacecraft inspection by a passive, fly-away probe.”

What does it mean? The satellites are designed to take pictures of other satellites, and that’s how they got the name “Spacecraft Selfie Cam” If you watch science fiction movies, you have seen the probes portrayed hundreds of times in many ways. Essentially the probes fly out into space from the spacecraft and inspect for damage. Only BYU’s little probes are real.

Passive Inspection CubeSat (PICS) at Brigham Young Univ. Credits: BYU Spacecraft Group

See also

** First Kuwaiti satellite to launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 in June 2021: Kuwait’s first satellite is on track for mid-2021 launch – SatellitePro ME

“QMR-KWT space mission is to empower students to contribute to the advancement of satellite communication technology, and to prepare them as future professionals to operate the next generation of communication satellites,” said Nada Alshammari, Director of Educational Programmes at Orbital Space. “Orbital Space is undertaking this pioneering mission in order to create educational opportunities for students from around the world to learn more about satellite communications. We are already seeing engagement from students with our QMR-KWT educational program ‘Code in Space’” added Nada Alshammari. “Code in Space is an opportunity for students to develop and test new software solutions by writing software code to be uploaded and executed on the satellite’s onboard computer. We are currently accepting student proposals for this out of the world opportunity.”

The QMR-KWT satellite will go to space via a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rideshare mission, currently set for June of this year. A Momentus Vigoride transfer stage will take the satellite to its target orbit after release from the F9 upper stage.

See also June launch set for first Kuwait satellite | ZAWYA MENA Edition.

** Curtin University in Australia prepares  for launch of the first of five Binar CubeSats. WA space program: Curtin University’s Binar Cubesat set for launch in late 2021 | Community News

Curtin University’s Binar CubeSat, the first satellite model fully designed and built in Australia, is set to launch into space later this year.

The five launches planned for the next two years will be aided by $500,000 in funding from the State Government.

The funding will be used by Curtin University to employ two senior engineers to support the scheduled launch of five Binar CubeSats in 2021 and 2022.

This will be the first constellation designed, developed and operated in Australia.

The satellite can be used for a range of applications such as remote sensing, imaging, communications and defence.

In partnership with Tokyo-based start-up Space BD Inc, Curtin will release WA’s first spacecraft from the International Space Station into low earth orbit in late 2021.

See also:

** SriShakthiSat, built by students at Coimbatore College in India, set to launch on PSLV rocket on Feb.28th. A ground station on campus was inaugurated during a visit by ISRO Chairman K. Sivan.

** Cape-3 CubeSat built by students at Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette successfully communicates with ground station after reaching orbit via Virgin Orbit LaunchOne mission: Students’ CAPE-3 satellite collecting data for NASA as it orbits Earth | University of Louisiana at Lafayette

At about four inches across each side, the “CubeSat” is small. And fast. It circles the globe every 90 minutes at 17,000 miles per hour. Radiation levels collected along the way via a small Geiger counter and a small plastic chip embedded inside will help inform NASA efforts to develop small, chip-based radiation detectors.

“The detectors would provide liquid crystal display readings so astronauts could constantly monitor how much radiation they’re being exposed to,” explained UL Lafayette’s Dr. Paul Darby, the project leader.

Darby, an assistant professor in the University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said the detectors could be configured like wristwatches astronauts could wear, or credit cards they could carry in their pockets.

The research is part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. The initiative provides opportunities for colleges and universities to conduct scientific investigations in space; findings, in turn, assist NASA with exploration and technology development.

** Univ. of Michigan MiTEE CubeSat operating in orbit after launch on Virgin Orbit LaunchOne rocket. The spacecraft, whose full name is Miniature Tether Electrodynamics Experiment-1, will test a electrodynamic tether for propellantless propulsion. See previous posts about the MiTEE project here and here.

See also Pioneering a way to keep very small satellites in orbit | University of Michigan News.

** University of Toronto institute sent a dozen satellites into orbit on recent SpaceX Rideshare mission: Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) Announces Successful Launch of 12 Satellites on SpaceX Ride-Sharing Mission | UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory

Space Flight Laboratory (SFL), a developer of complete microspace missions, today announced the launch and successful deployment of 12 satellites on January 24, 2021. The SpaceX Falcon 9 ride-sharing mission carried three different SFL-designed microspace platforms into orbit for three separate commercial constellations.

The January 24 launch included:

    • Three formation-flying, radio frequency geolocating microsatellites built upon SFL’s 30-kg DEFIANT platform for HawkEye 360 Inc. of Herndon, VA.
    • One next-generation greenhouse gas monitoring microsatellite, known as GHGSat-C2 or “Hugo”, built by SFL on its 15-kg NEMO platform for GHGSat Inc. of Montreal, Canada.
    • Eight commercial communications CubeSats developed using the SFL 6U-XL SPARTAN design.

This week’s deployment of the DEFIANT microsatellites also marked the third entirely new microspace platform developed by SFL to reach orbit in just the past five months. SFL’s SPARTAN bus was introduced for the first time on September 28, 2020, with the launch of two communications CubeSats. And SFL’s NAUTILUS microsatellite platform made its debut on September 2, 2020, with the launch of the NEMO-HD Earth observation mission for Slovenia.

“These launches demonstrate SFL’s unmatched ability to innovate and deliver quality at any size on short schedules,” said SFL Director, Dr. Robert E. Zee. “SFL is a unique microspace provider that offers a complete suite of nano-, micro- and small satellites – including high-performance, low-cost CubeSats – that satisfy the needs of a broad range of mission types from 3 to 500 kilograms.”

** CubeSat built by high school students in Sirius on the Black Sea to launch this year: Satellite developed by Sirius high school to be launched into space in late 2021 –  TASS

A space weather nanosatellite, developed by Sirius high school students, will be launched at the end of 2021. The test model has already passed the initial trials, the high school told TASS Wednesday.

“The small spacecraft of the CubeSat-3U format will be brought to the orbit in late 2021. Sirius’ own satellite will collect data on space weather for Moscow State University (MSU) scientists. The satellite was assembled by students at Sirius high school, under supervision of the ‘Space systems and remote Earth probing’ laboratory specialists,” the high school press service said.

** Two Taiwanese CubeSats launched with SpaceX Rideshare mission. The Ionospheric Dynamics Explorer and Attitude Subsystem Satellite (IDEASat) is intended for studies of ionospheric space weather. The other satellites is called YUSAT or Yushan,which means jade mountain) and was built by New Taipei-based MoGaMe Mobile Entertainment to monitor marine activities. Signals from both satellites have been detected by stations outside of Taiwan but only IDEASSat has been received by the home ground station: National Central University successfully received and decoded the “IDEASSAT” CubeSat downlink signal. “YUSAT” CubeSat is still in progress. – National Space Organization

The “YUSAT (aka Yushan) ” and “IDEASSAT (aka Flying Squirrel)” CubeSats were successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), in Florida, the United States, at 11:00 pm of January 24, 2021, Taiwan time. The ground receiving station of National Central University (NCU) successfully received the IDEASSAT CubeSat downlink signal at 9:00 pm on February 1st, and successfully decoded the first beacon message at 11:34 pm.

After YUSAT and IDEASSAT CubeSats were transported to CCSFS in Florida, U.S., in December of last year, various integration and test (I&T) and inspection tasks as well as joint interface tests with the Falcon 9 rocket at the launch site have been performed. At 11:00 pm in the evening on January 24th, they were carried by the Falcon 9 rocket and launched into space. About 59 minutes after the rocket launch, the two satellites began to separate from the rocket. The separated satellites are orbiting the earth with the altitude of about 525 kilometers, with the period about 96 minutes, and at an inclination of about 97.5 degrees. YUSAT and IDEASSAT would be passing and communicating with the ground stations in Taiwan 1 to 2 times between 8 and 10 o’clock in the morning and evening, respectively.

In the first few days, neither the YUSAT ground station of National Space Organization (NSPO) of National Applied Research Laboratories (NARLabs) nor the IDEASSAT ground station of NCU received signals from two CubeSats, respectively. However, there were some good news about the transmitted signals from the two CubeSats received by the foreign stations fortunately, because these amateur radio stations around the world can cooperate each other for receiving satellite signals. Based on the received and decoded signals from them, both satellites are confirmed to be alive and continuously orbiting around the Earth.

More about the projects:

The Ionospheric Dynamics Explorer and Attitude Subsystem Satellite (IDEASSat). Photo credits: National Space Organization of Taiwan

** Turkey’s ASELSAT CubeSat reaches orbit via SpaceX Falcon 9 Rideshare mission. The spacecraft was developed by Turkey’s ASELSAN military technology company in partnership with Istanbul Technical University. Statement about ASELSAT 3U Cube Satellite from SSB – Aroged

Developed with domestic facilities X-Band Transmitter, By integrating the U3 size cube satellite with high resolution camera The images obtained will be transmitted to the ground station. Also located on the cube satellite radiation dosimeter Thanks to this, radiation information in the low orbit environment will be recorded for feedback for design improvements.

More at

** AMSAT news on student and amateur CubeSat/smallsat projects:

ANS-017 AMSAT News Service Weekly News Bulletin – ANS – mailman.amsat.org

  • RadFxSat-2 Launch Delayed Until Sunday, January 17, 2021
  • November/December 2020 AMSAT Journal Now Online
  • UVSQsat Scheduled for January 21, 2021 Launch
  • Seven US Schools Moved Forward in ARISS Selection Process
  • CubeSat to Test Harnessing Earth’s Magnetic Field for Propulsion
  • CHESS CubeSat Constellation to Carry FUNcube Transponders
  • International Amateur Radio Union Preparing for WRC-23
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • ARISS News
  • Satellite Shorts from All Over

ANS-024 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins – ANS – mailman.amsat.org

  • Update on the Status of RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E
  • UVSQ-SAT Launch Now January 24th
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 21, 2021
  • ftp.amsat.org Service to be Terminated
  • ARISS News
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Satellite Shorts from All Over

ANS-028 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin – ANS – mailman.amsat.org

  • RadFxSat-2 Signals Detected, AMSAT Engineering Continues to Assess Status

ANS-031 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletin – ANS – mailman.amsat.org

  • RadFxSat-2 Update – (January 29, 2021)
  • RadFxSat-2 Signals Detected, AMSAT Engineering Continues to Assess Status (January 28, 2021)
  • ARISS Operations Situation
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for January 28, 2021
  • QSO Today Virtual Ham Expo to Include Speaker Track on Amateur Radio Satellites
  • Ham Radio’s SuitSat Returns in Short Horror Film
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • ARISS News
  • Satellite Shorts from All Over
  • Iodine Thruster Could Slow Space Junk Accumulation

ANS-038 AMSAT Weekly News Bulletin – ANS – mailman.amsat.org

  • RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Is Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 109 (AO-109)
  • SN9 Starship Test Launch: Otherwise successful test ends in a fireball
  • CAPE-3 Updates and iGate Request
  • First QO-100 satellite contact from Indonesia
  • ARISS Call for Proposals: Contacts for January to June 2022
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for February 4, 2021
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

General CubeSat/SmallSat info:

** Payload Profile #1: Launch Demo 2 | Virgin Orbit

As our first ever batch of customers begin to downlink data from their satellites, let’s take a deeper dive into each of the missions that flew onboard LauncherOne this month. First up are CACTUS-1, ExoCube, and CAPE-3. To learn more about our Launch Demo 2 mission, visit our website: https://virg.in/j7y

** Payload Profile #2: Launch Demo 2 | Virgin Orbit

From scientific experiments to tech demonstrations, we’re taking a closer look at each of the missions that flew to space onboard #LaunchDemo2​. This week, the spotlight is on MITEE-1, PICS and PolarCub.

** Payload Deep Dive #3: Launch Demo 2 | Virgin Orbit

From scientific experiments to tech demonstrations, we’re taking a closer look at each of the missions that flew to space onboard #LaunchDemo2​​. Tune in to our last of three Payload Profiles learn a bit more about Q-Pace, RadFXSat-2, and TechEdSat-7. 

** Into a Shoebox: The Incredible Journey of RainCube and Tempest-D – NASA JPL (See also A Pioneering NASA Mini Weather Satellite Ends Its Mission – NASA JPL)

On June 25, 2018, RainCube and Tempest-D were deployed from the International Space Station. Both are 6U CubeSats developed by NASA-JPL as instrument technology demonstrations. RainCube implemented the first precipitation radar in a CubeSat and Tempest-D tested the performance of a CubeSat microwave radiometer to observe precipitation and clouds. Together, they became the first CubeSats to measure precipitation from space, with Raincube providing detailed vertical structure information and Tempest-D providing coarse vertical and detailed horizontal structure.

** Navigating SmallSat Development: Where to Begin and What to Expect | NASA – Speaker: Dr. Charles D. Norton, NASA Headquarters / Jet Propulsion Laboratory, CalTech. Presentation slides (pdf)

** NASA and Smallsat Cost Estimation Overview and Model Tools | NASA – Speaker: Michael Saing, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology – Presentation slides (pdf)

** Natalya Bailey: Rocket Engines and Electric Spacecraft Propulsion | Lex Fridman Podcast #157

Natalya Bailey is a rocket propulsion engineer from MIT and now CTO of Accion Systems.

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Amateur/Student Satellite, Education, Space Systems

Student and amateur CubeSat news roundup – Jan.14.2021

A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. related to student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs (find previous smallsat roundups here):

** Ten university student-built CubeSats on Virgin Orbit‘s upcoming LauncherOne flight. Several of the projects are described below. This Virgin Orbit PR includes the manifest: Announcing the Window for Launch Demo 2 | Virgin Orbit – Includes manifest

9 CubeSat missions comprising 10 total spacecraft are set to fly on LauncherOne during Launch Demo 2, which will also mark the 20th mission in NASA’s Educational Launch of NanoSatellites (ELaNa XX) series. NASA is using small satellites, including CubeSats, to advance exploration, demonstrate emerging technologies, and conduct scientific research and educational investigations. Nearly each payload on this flight was fully designed and built by universities across the US.

See also

** Cal Poly’s ExoCube-2 on LauncherOne. The 3U CubeSat built by students carries a

… spectrometer as its payload, made to analyze particle densities in the exosphere which can, in turn, show how geomagnetic storms affect the atmosphere. This data is then used to improve atmospheric models.

ExoCube-2 at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Credits: Cal Poly

More at:

** Over 250 students at Univ. of Michigan participated in the building of the  MiTEE-1  (Miniature Tether Electrodynamics Experiment-1). The CubeSat is on LauncherOne. Pioneering a way to keep very small satellites in orbit | University of Michigan News

The team is studying the idea of tethering two cell phone-sized small satellites with a wire 10 to 30 meters long that is able to drive current in either direction using power from solar panels and closing the electrical circuit through the Earth’s ionosphere. When a wire conducts a current in a magnetic field, that magnetic field exerts a force on the wire. The team plans to use the force from the Earth’s magnetic field to climb higher in orbit, compensating for the drag of the atmosphere.

The first experiments to test the idea will be on a CubeSat satellite called MiTEE-1: The Miniature Tether Electrodynamics Experiment-1. The version being launched was designed and built by more than 250 students, over a course of six years. They were mentored by engineers and technicians of the U-M Space Physics Research Laboratory. The version launching now will have a deployable rigid boom, one meter long, between one satellite the size of a bread box and another the size of a large smartphone. It will measure how much current can be drawn from the ionosphere under different conditions.

** Brigham Young University students built the two Passive Inspection CubeSats (PICs) that will demonstrate in-space smallsat inspection operations after reaching space on Virgin Orbit LauncherOne flight. BYU students launch an idea into space with help from NASA – The Daily Universe

The Passive Inspection CubeSat is a 10 cm cube with cell phone-like cameras on all six faces. After the vehicle launches and reaches space, the two CubeSats are deployed in a Pez-dispenser fashion. Each CubeSat then immediately starts taking pictures of the spacecraft, the other CubeSat, earth and anything else near the satellite. Because there are cameras on each face of the cube, the data will provide a virtual environment, as if those viewing it are in space themselves.

** MIR-SAT1 (Mauritius Imagery and Radio – Satellite 1) to be first Mauritius satellite: 2020 in Review – Mauritius Space Program – Space in Africa

Mauritius was the winner of the 3rd round UNOOSA/JAXA KiboCube Programme in 2018 whereby Mauritius was awarded (by JAXA) the opportunity to build and deploy, for the first time in its history, a 1U Cube Satellite through the International Space Station (ISS). The MIR-SAT1 will be sent by JAXA to the International Space Station (ISS) and deployed from the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo) “KiboCUBE”.

The first 1U Mauritian nanosatellite, MIR-SAT1 (Mauritius Imagery and Radio – Satellite 1) was designed by a team of Mauritian Engineers and an experienced Radio Amateur from the Mauritius Amateur Radio Society in collaboration with experts from AAC-Clyde Space UK.

…

The testing and building of the satellite (MIR-SAT1) was carried out by the MRIC’s collaborating partner, AAC-ClydeSpace in Glasgow and was completed in November 2020. JAXA started the 3rd Safety Assessment review, which will ensure that the cubesat is compliant with all the requirements of KiboCube Program. Further to the successful completion of this review, the MIR-SAT1 will be shipped to JAXA from Glasgow. It is expected that the Satellite will be at JAXA in January 2021. JAXA will then launch the satellite to the ISS via the launcher SpaceX-22 and eventually deploy it space by May/June 2021. The MRIC will be the operator of the satellite, and a state-of-the-art ground control station is currently being set up for this purpose.

See also Mauritius to Launch its First CubeSat in 2021 – ARRL.

**  Students at Univ. of Georgia built CubeSat Spectral Ocean Color (SPOC), recently deployed from the International Space Station. University of Georgia Students Launch CubeSat with NASA | NASA

Students and faculty from the University of Georgia, Athens, were thrilled to see their hard work on the CubeSat Spectral Ocean Color (SPOC) pay off when it deployed from the International Space Station recently.

SPOC, developed through the NASA Undergraduate Student Instrument Project, launched to the space station aboard a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket October 2, 2020, from Wallops along with nearly 8,000 pounds of cargo and science investigations. The goal of SPOC is to monitor the health of coastal ecosystem from space. The cubesat, about the size of a loaf of bread, includes an advanced optic system that can zoom in on coastal areas to detect chemical composition and physical characteristics on ocean and wetland surfaces.

** Brown University’s student-built EQUiSat, launched in 2018, reentered last December: 14,000 loops around the Earth later, Brown student satellite ends its mission | Brown University

The satellite was originally expected to stay in orbit for a maximum of two years, but a particularly mild solar cycle kept it aloft a bit longer. Rick Fleeter, an adjunct professor of engineering who is adviser to BSE, says the fact that EQUiSat’s systems kept functioning for its entire flight is a tribute to the students who designed, built and operated it.

“EQUiSat is just an assembly of parts — the success and the learning were accomplished by the ingenuity, hard work and dedication of a diverse team of Brown students past and present,” Fleeter said. “That’s what I will remember about it — the great satisfaction of having been a part of their team.”

To keep its systems running, the satellite’s custom-made solar array powered a set of LiFePO batteries, which were part of its mission objective. This type of battery had never flown in space before, so NASA was interested to see how they’d perform in an environment that goes from -250 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade to 250 degrees in the sun. Those batteries, along with the rest of the EQUiSat’s systems, performed about as well as anyone could have expected.

See also this earlier report on the project: After 7 years of work, Brown’s student satellite is cleared for NASA launch | Brown University – Mar.15.2018

** AMSAT news on student and amateur CubeSat/smallsat projects:

ANS-003 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Jan. 3 – ANS – mailman.amsat.org:

  • 2021 Promises To Be A “Big” Year in Space
  • Changes to AMSAT News Service Bulletins Distribution
  • New AMSAT Contact Information
  • FO-29 operation schedule for Jan. – Feb. 2021
  • AMSAT Awards Update
  • VUCC Awards-Endorsements for January 1, 2021
  • New Mail System Archives Changes
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 31, 2020
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-0103 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Jan. 10, 2021 – ANS:

  • Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne Launch Demo 2 is go for launch
  • Cargo Dragon to Return to Earth from ISS
  • Portable QO-100 station activated on Antarctic cruise
  • AMSAT-SM releases a satellite memory set for the ICOM IC-705
  • AMSAT Ambassador Activities
  • AMSAT – Changes in Orbital Elements
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

** General CubeSat/SmallSat info:

** CubeSat: Little Satellite, Big Deal : Short Wave – NPR

** History of the Wolverine CubeSat Team – Simmons COSPAR-K 2021 (Sydney, Australia)

** Understanding Radio Communications – Lecture 11: Receiving a satellite – Tutorial for teacher

This is the last in a series of 6 videos designed to accompany the “Understanding Radio Communications – using SDRs” teaching materials. It supports the lecture/lab work presented in lecture 11 of the 11 one hour sessions (Receiving a satellite) You can find out more and register to download the materials free of charge at this link: https://sdrplay.com/understandingradio

** Getting Started with Amateur Radio Satellites – Tom Schuessler N5HYP

** Q&A – Getting Started with Amateur Radio Satellites – Tom Schuessler N5HYP

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