CySat – I

Mission Objective

CySat is a student CubeSat initiative to educate students in the design, construction, testing and operations of a CubeSat satellite. It will be flown in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to perform a technology demonstration of a state-of-the-art radiometer based on a software defined radio (SDR).

Scope of Work

CySat is designing and manufacturing a 3-U CubeSat that will be flown in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) as a proof of concept for the payload and to demonstrate the satellite’s platform. The payload will be a software defined radio based radiometer that will be able to passively scan the Earth’s surface and record soil moisture. Our goal is to have a fully functioning satellite built and tested by the end of the spring 2018 semester. After completing testing, the satellite will be handed over to our NASA contractor for integration into the launch vehicle. It will be launched to the International Space Station in the fall of 2018 and from there be deployed in the spring of 2019. After demonstrating the functionality of the platform, CySat will collaborate with other organizations to provide access to LEO for private scientific payloads. CySat also plans to update the platform in the future to allow the payload to be tested on a target such as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) or the Moon.

Timeline

NOAA Public Statement

As per our license with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), below is a copy of our public summary.