Students at a local elementary school in Arlington, Virginia have set their sights on an ambitious goal. They’re aiming to become the first K-8 school in the world to launch a “CubeSat” satellite into orbit. The project kicked off recently at St. Thomas More Cathedral School with financial and volunteer support from ATK Space Systems Division. The contribution ties into ATK’s strong support of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives in K-12 schools focusing on inspiring students to pursue careers in science and engineering.
As part of a three-year project, students will build a “CubeSat” measuring approximately four inches long and three pounds. Students, through hands-on work, will develop skills and experiences used in the aerospace industry. The CubeSat is scheduled to be launched by 2014 with assistance from NASA. Once launched, the satellite will collect photos and data that will be used internationally for education and research purposes.
ATK employee and NASA Mission Manager Joe Pellegrino (bottom left photo) suggested the project. Joe, a parent at the school, will act as a consultant from start-to-build-to-launch: “Usually these are built by universities or even grad students, so it’s quite remarkable that we’re trying to do this with grade school students. During the course of my career, I’ve built satellites and thought the CubeSat would be something achievable the kids could perform that would get them interested in science and space.”
The satellite will include two science payloads and a camera. Students will also test the satellite in various weather conditions including cold, heat, vibrations and high air pressure. An upcoming milestone comes at the end of the school year when students use weather balloons to conduct a high altitude test of the CubeSat in the school parking lot.
Computer teacher and Mission Manager Melissa Pore said every student in the school will be involved in the mission. “As teachers, we need to provide opportunities for students to discover and apply learning to real world scenarios. Our future is in their hands.”
ATK’s Joe Pellegrino says the mission is well worth the investment especially if some students decide to be engineers or scientists. He added, “It was a teacher that got me interested in engineering in third grade which led to a satisfying and rewarding career in the space industry. I hope we can inspire some of these young students through this activity to pursue careers in science and engineering.”
