MSSM's CubeSat

On a cloudy Tuesday at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, Mr. Katsman’s CubeSat Club gathered outside for a hands-on test of student engineering, weather tracking, and high-altitude science. With help from Dr. Rick Eason, a retired University of Maine associate professor emeritus, students launched two student-built boxes using a high-altitude balloon system. The boxes were designed to collect data during flight and give students a real look at how scientific payloads are planned, built, launched, tracked, and recovered.

This type of project is often connected to CubeSat-style learning. In this setting, the student-built devices may not reach orbit, but they give students direct experience with many of the same ideas used in small-satellite work. Students must consider weight, sensors, power, data storage, communication, weather, flight path, recovery, and potential failures. That is where the real learning happens. A project like this asks students to move beyond theory. They have to design something that can survive a real launch. They have to think through practical problems. They have to work as a team. They have to test their assumptions against the outside world, not just a classroom assignment. Dr. Eason brought deep experience to the launch. He worked in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maine and remains active through the university’s high-altitude ballooning program. His support gave students a chance to learn from someone who has helped with many balloon-based scientific launches across Maine and beyond.

MSSM is grateful to Dr. Eason for sharing his time, knowledge, and equipment with students. His visit helped turn a cloudy Tuesday into a real field experience in engineering and atmospheric science. For MSSM, the value is clear. Students had the chance to take a project from concept to launch. They saw how science, engineering, coding, and teamwork connect in a real test. They also saw that research does not always happen in a lab. Sometimes it starts on campus, under a gray sky, with a balloon, two student-built boxes, and a team ready to learn from the results.

More Photos on MSSM FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/maineschoolofscienceandmathematics/albums

Previous Post:

https://www.mssm.org/about-mssm/mssm-news/default-post-page/~board/latest-news/post/nasa-lifts-mssm-higher