University Nanosatellite Program
The University Nanosat Program is a satellite design and fabrication competition for universities. It is jointly administered by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Space Development and Test Wing and the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate's Spacecraft Technology division. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center was involved from the program inception through Nanosat-3.
Previous winners of the competition were the University of Georgia Small Satellite Research Laboratory's MOCI Satellite, Michigan Technological University's Oculus-ASR,Cornell University's Cornell University Satellite, University of Texas at Austin's Formation Autonomy Spacecraft with Thrust, Relnav, Attitude, and Crosslink for Nanosat-3 and the joint 3 Corner Satellite project by the University of Colorado at Boulder, Arizona State University and New Mexico State University for Nanosat-2., the 3CS spacecraft and FASTRAC have launched.
The program's objective is to train tomorrow's space professionals by providing a rigorous two year concept to flight-ready spacecraft competition for U. S. higher education institutions and to enable small satellite research and development, integration and flight test. Approximately 4500 college students and 27 institutions of higher learning have been involved in this unique experience since its inception in 1999.
Participants
Nanosat-1/Nanosat-2
- Arizona State University: Sparkie 1st place - group
- Stanford University: Emerald and Orion
- Santa Clara University: Emerald and Orion
- New Mexico State University: Petey 1st place - group
- Boston University: Constellation Pathfinder
- Carnegie Mellon University: Solar Blade Nanosat
- University of Colorado at Boulder: Ralphie 1st place - group
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: HokieSat
- University of Washington: DAWGSTAR
- Utah State University: USUSat
Nanosat-4
- Cornell University: CUSat 1st place
- New Mexico State University: NMSUSat 2
- Santa Clara University: ONYX
- Texas A&M University: AggieSat1
- University of Central Florida: KNIGHTSAT
- University of Cincinnati: BEARSat
- University of Minnesota: MinneSAT
- University of Missouri-Rolla: UMR SAT 3rd place
- University of Texas at Austin: ARTEMIS
- Utah State University: TOROID
- Washington University in St. Louis: Akoya and Bandit 2nd place
Nanosat-6
- Cornell University: Violet 2nd place
- University of Central Florida: KnightSat 2
- Montana State University: SpaceBuoy
- University of Hawaii at Manoa: Ho'oponopono 3rd place
- Santa Clara University: IRIS
- Missouri University of Science and Technology: MR & MRS SAT
- Michigan Technological University: Oculus-ASR 1st place
- University of Minnesota: TwinSat
- Georgia Institute of Technology: R3
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology: CASTOR
- Saint Louis University: COPPER
Nanosat-8
- Boston University: ANDESITE 5th place
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: ARAPAIMA
- Georgia Institute of Technology: RECONSO 3rd place
- New Mexico State University: INCA
- Taylor University: ELEO-Sat 4th place
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New York: GLADOS 5th place
- University of California, Los Angeles: ELFIN
- University of Colorado Boulder: PolarCube 2nd place
- University of Florida: CHOMPTT
- Missouri University of Science and Technology: MR & MRS SAT 1st place
Nanosat-3
- Arizona State University
- Michigan Technological University: HuskySat 3rd place
- Montana State University: MAIA
- New Mexico State University: NMSUSat
- Penn State University: LionSat
- Taylor University: TEST 2nd place
- University of Colorado at Boulder: DINO
- University of Hawaii at Manoa: Twin Stars
- University of Michigan: FENIX
- Utah State University: USUSat II
- The University of Texas at Austin: FASTRAC 1st place
- Washington University in St. Louis: Akoya and Bandit
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute: PANSAT
Nanosat-5
- Boston University: BUSat
- Michigan Technological University: Oculus 3rd place
- Montana State University: SpaceBuoy
- Penn State University: NittanySat
- Santa Clara University: Obsidian
- Texas A&M University: AggieSat3
- University of Colorado at Boulder: DANDE 1st place
- University of Minnesota: Goldeneye
- The University of Texas at Austin: 2-STEP
- Utah State University: TOROID II
- Washington University in St. Louis: Akoya-B and Bandit-C 2nd place
Nanosat-7
- Boston University
- Georgia Institute of Technology 1st place - Microsats
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Missouri University of Science and Technology 2nd place - Microsats
- Montana State University
- St. Louis University
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
- University of Hawaii at Manoa
- University of Maryland
- University of Michigan 2nd place - Cubesats
- University of Texas at Austin 1st place - Cubesats
Nanosat-9
- University of Georgia: Small Satellite Research Laboratory, MOCI 1st place
- University of Colorado Boulder: MAXWELL 2nd place
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- United States Naval Academy
- Missouri University of Science and Technology
- Michigan Technological University
- University of Arizona
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
- Western Michigan University
- University of Minnesota
Events
Nanosat-2
- December 2004 - Sparkie and Ralphie launch on the inaugural Delta-IV Heavy
Nanosat-3
- Summer 2006 - Nanosat-3 winner FASTRAC undergoes Integration and Test at AFRL
- May 2010 - FASTRAC launches on a Minotaur IV
Nanosat-4
- March 2006 - Nanosat-4 Flight Competition Review where CUSat named winner
- March 2008 - CUSat delivered to AFRL
Nanosat-5
- Jan 2009 - Nanosat-5 Flight Competition Review where DANDE named winner
- Summer 2010 - DANDE expected to deliver to AFRL
Nanosat-6
- Jan 2009 - Kickoff
- Feb/Mar 2009 - Systems Concept Review
- Apr/May 2009 - System Requirements Review
- Summer 2009 - Student Hands On Training Workshop 1 in Boulder, CO
- Aug 2009 - PDR at SmallSat Conference in Logan, UT
- Jan/Feb 2010 - Sat Fab class at AFRL
- Spring 2010 - Critical Design Review
- Summer 2010 - Student Hands On Training Workshop 2 in Boulder, CO
- Aug 2010 - PQR at SmallSat Conference in Logan, UT
- Jan 2011 - Flight Competition Review