Cornell students are preparing for a major space milestone, as two student-built experiments are headed to the International Space Station, according to the Cornell Chronicle. One is the Alpha CubeSat, a satellite eight years in the making, built by more than 120 students. The other, Sailing to the Stars, will test six lightweight sails designed to propel tiny satellites through space.
Alpha CubeSat began as a high school project and grew into a complex satellite featuring redesigned electronics, custom software, and deployable sails carrying four mini “ChipSats.” Sailing to the Stars was developed much faster, thanks to focused teamwork led by student Verena Padres. Both projects will test new deployment methods and transmit valuable data back to Earth.
If successful, these experiments could shape future missions, including satellite releases in Earth’s atmosphere and even lunar deployments.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].