STEMSat Project

The STEMSat Project objective is to teach students how to build their own small satellites based on the CubeSat Standard.  STEMEd provides the participating educational institution the Teacher's Manual, Student's Workbook-Exercises as well as print and video tutorials.  The teacher's and student's workbook contain a chapter on The Physics of Satellites and Orbits and more chapters on Satellite Design, Build, Test and Launch.

Over the course of a semester, the teacher starts with a discussion of the Physics of Satellites and Orbits using the STEMEd-provided Tutorial.  The teacher uses the Tutorial appropriate to the grade level of the audience.  There are three Tutorial Levels: (1) for K-5, (2) 6-8, (3) 9-12.  There is also a Tutorial Version for students in a two-year college and university.

After about four lecture sessions on the Physics of Satellites and Orbits, the instructor proceeds to the section on Satellite Design, Build, Test and Launch where each of the satellite components are discussed.  This is followed by a tutorial on selecting the components necessary to accomplish the mission sought.  Putting together the different satellite components follow.

The last step is focused on discussion of typical testing that a satellite undergoes prior to launch into orbit and the explanation or rationale why these tests are conducted.  The students also learn about the Concept-of-Operations (ConOps) of a satellite, the hazards of the space environment, and the satellite owner's responsibility to make sure the satellite does not pose danger to other orbiting satellites on orbit.