How cool is this? CubeSat

[Brock]

I don't know if I have mentioned this to you all...

Meh.


In my grade 10 year, I was invited to probably one of the coolest projects that I could ever dream of being involved with in school.  Finger painting came close, but no...  This is far cooler.

The project, which I and several other whizzes were selected to do, is to build, and launch a REAL working satellite into space.  Yes, you read right.  A REAL satellite.

The thing itself is tiny, its a cube (hence the name, CubeSat) 10x10x10.  The reason for this...  funding.

The project will be called Win-Cube (Winnipeg=My city, Cube=Cube-Sat).

It will be launched using an old Russian ICBM (from the cold war) by attaching them to it, and then launching them off with springs, once in orbit.  The satellite we still have not determined a purpose for yet.  I was thinking of making measure something like surface temperature, so we can see how bad global warming is getting.

We have to figure out, (with no help from teachers, WE, the kids, lead this) how to power it (Probably Solar Panels), what batteries to use, how will it communicate with us from space, how can we make it sturdy enough to survive launch, etc...

And even though it will all require a ridiclous amount of pain, suffering, homework, agony, blah, blah, blah...

What other chance in your life will you get to build one of these?  I'll be able to point to the sky and say: "I have something up there..."


http://cubesat.atl.calpoly.edu/

[jettlarue]

Thats pretty sweet, seems like it will be actually something you can use in real life, dfor a job you could be like "Yeah I helped design and make a satellite" and people will hire you haha. But seriously that will be pretty sweet,

[Brock]

They said they are gonna give us shirts that say on the front: "Hi, I'm a rocket scientist."

On the back: "No really, I am."  and then the site URL   

[Milkman Dan]

If it doesn't have a high powered lazer on it you've failed.

[iPod]

Well that sounds like an awesome project. I wish you guys luck considering you are using decades old technology and relying on the unpredictable whims of a rocket which may just decide to spiral off and destroy itself somewhere :p

[Wraithlike]

Blow up the moon! Anyway, sounds cool.

[EnEsCe]

booooring. Id rather breed worms in the schools compost heap...

[blackdevil0742]

Sounds awsome
But don't you need to have permission to send something out in space?

[peemonkey]

I say have it filled with ballbearings and release them in a love velocity so that they stay in orbit and fuck up NASA missions.

[Mistercharles]

It's obviously a plan created by the educational system to bombard the Earth with communist-rays.

[bja888]

10x10x10

This is the part where units of measure it used. Because unlike you I don't consider 10 Miles^3 (10 cubic miles) that small.

[Dascoo]

HOLY CRAP I WISH BURLINGTON DID THAT! But we're poor and we smoke pot so it will never happen with us

[Slashnoob]

in soviet russha ICBM's launch you11!

[Rambo_6]

Since you're a toban, i predict that the satellite will go very fast and piss off lots of drivers

[Brock]

Well, like I said, the reason we used old missles in cause its better to use them for something educational rather than a device of war.  And the technology is about 50/50 chance it will work properly.

And about permission: Yes, we will be getting support from NASA and the Manitoba Space Foundation (I don't know if that is what it is called).

And trust me, the second this project started, and the teach asked us what should we do with the satellite everyone was like: DEATH RAY!   


...  10x10x10...   We use metric in Canada, so 10x10x10 CENTIMETERS

[peemonkey]

Ball barings.

[The Bone Collector]

Ball barings.

bloody good idea chap.

Carry on....