The Department of Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science and the Department of Chemistry have launched a program that provides students the opportunity to craft a small “CubeSat” satellite that will conduct research in space.
“It all started with Jeffrey Mendenhall, who is a supervisor in the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. He’s one of our graduates,” said Lanika Ruzhitskaya, Associate Professor of Physics.
Mendenhall graduated from SFU with a degree in Math and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Astrophysics at Penn State.
A CubeSat is a type of nanosatellite composed of between one to 12 units of 10x10x10 centimeter cubes. These satellites provide colleges and universities the opportunity to send a small craft into space through NASA, one that will conduct space exploration.
The University’s satellite – SFU-1 – is a 3U CubeSat. Its mission is to investigate the highest layer of the earth’s atmosphere – the ionosphere – and to measure fluctuations from lightning at the bottom of it and solar flares at the top of it.
Participants in the project are also optimistic that SFU-1 will record storms on Jupiter.
The Saint Francis team is partnering with freshmen from area high schools on this project. The satellite is set to launch in late 2027.
“It’s not as complicated as some may think,” said freshman Math major Savannah Doran. “It’s a really good thing to have on your resume and it’s open to anyone.
“It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of.”
The SFU-1 team is composed of students and faculty from the MECS and Chemistry Departments. Students are designing the CubeSat with guidance from SFU faculty members and Mendenhall.
“I’m part of the Science Team and I have had a wonderful experience with the people in it,” said Doran.
In December, the team completed the “Mission Definition Review,” which defines SFU-1’s objectives and provides a basic framework for the CubeSat. Included in this review were details on how the satellite will collect data, as well as information regarding how various pieces of the CubeSat will function.
The next step is the “Preliminary Design Review,” which is scheduled to be completed in October of this year. During this review, the team will present a more fleshed out design of the CubeSat’s systems and explain how the mission will be completed, while also noting limitations.
“I see it not just us doing something, but as a University coming together to launch a satellite,” said Ruzhitskaya.
“It’s a multi-faceted project involving scientists, engineers and other people on campus who want to participate because they want to be part of something that’s never been done before.
“It’s the coming together as a University and as a community to do research.”
