Online CubeSat Design Training Week 2021 combines lectures and group projects to enhance university students’ learning

Operating more than nine afternoon classes amongst 13 – 23 September 2021, in digital attendance ended up 30 Bachelor, Learn, and PhD pupils in science and engineering-relevant fields, drawn from 15 ESA Member States and Canada.

CubeSats are miniature satellites that can match in the palm of your hand. Even with currently being compact and light-weight, they have advanced payloads and conduct precious science. At the similar time, they are powerful educational device that presents hands-on expertise in the growth phases of a spacecraft. ESA is keen to equip foreseeable future scientists and engineers with the capabilities essential to assistance produce CubeSats by way of programs like this Online CubeSat Design Teaching Week.

Professional ESA gurus delivered a series of CubeSat-themed lectures distribute throughout the instruction 7 days. Masking several facets of a mission ranging from Program Engineering, Mission Investigation, CubeSat Configuration, Electrical Power Process, Perspective Willpower and Manage Process, On-Board Data Dealing with, Communications and Spacecraft Operations. 

Performing in parallel to these lectures, the college pupils were being break up into teams of six and challenged to design and style their personal CubeSat mission in the course of venture periods supported by the staff behind Fly Your Satellite! – the ESA Schooling programme that supports college university student teams in the progress of their individual CubeSat. Each and every team first had to opt for a mission location, these types of as Earth Observation, Room Observation, or Astronomy and Science. Pupils had been then given objectives and limits for their CubeSat missions. Theoretical facts acquired from the on line lectures proved invaluable.

“The On the internet CubeSat Design and style Instruction 7 days 2021 was a terrific practical experience for me as a CubeSat rookie,” claimed a Czech pupil from Brno College of Know-how. “The lecturers gave us a deep perspective on the tactic to CubeSat mission and subsystems structure. All the new information and facts was also right away applied in just the team undertaking sessions, the place we formulated our own mission proposal. I would not wait to propose this teaching to any of my colleagues and I am grateful for the opportunity to take part.’’

The to start with week culminated in the learners practising their presentation capabilities, attaining useful opinions for the eventual ultimate team displays. Each group also had the opportunity to share the progress of their CubeSat Structure undertaking with the other pupils, pooling strategies and lending each individual other a helping hand.

Week two began with a virtual tour of ESA’s CubeSat Guidance Facility, where by EIRSAT-1, a single of the groups collaborating in the Fly Your Satellite! programme, was carrying out an environmental check marketing campaign on their CubeSat. Via the livefeed, the learners could right interact with the EIRSAT-1 student group and check with thoughts about design and tests processes. It was enlightening for the college students to see the techniques and challenges of CubeSat progress for a true mission.

The final working day each individual group offered their CubeSat styles to the other learners and the tutors. Ground breaking remedies have been available to a myriad of challenges, and it was evident that the content material of the lectures had aided the students to assume creatively about how to finest total their mission objectives! The students’ performances were being evaluated, that means that participants received a certification of participation and transcript, which in turn can be used to ask for ECTS Credit(s) from their respective universities. 

The students are now in a position to utilize the understanding and techniques received in the course of the coaching 7 days for CubeSat tasks at their house universities, and possibly as long run Fly Your Satellite! applicants – or even, sooner or later, as professionals in the house sector!

‘’These 9 times have been an fantastic expertise to find out new thoughts, assimilate past concepts, and meet outstanding people today from throughout the globe intrigued in place and satellites,” summarised a Spanish student from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). “Even though it was an on the web model, it saved us all engaged and focussed as if we were being all in the exact place many thanks to the devotion of ESA Academy’s workers and lecturing authorities. In the long run, thoroughly unforgettable!’’

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