Alaska Research CubeSat
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Space Grant Program
Overview
The Alaska Research CubeSat (ARC) is a series of CubeSats designed and constructed entirely by engineering and science students from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Students are currently working on the second ARC satellite, ARC2. The objectives of ARC2 are to:
- Provide authentic, interdisciplinary, hands-on student experiences in science and engineering through the design, development, and operation of a student small satellite mission.
- Characterize thermal and vibration environment inside the launch vehicle from ignition to orbit insertion.
- Validate a high bandwidth communication system by obtaining images of changing snow/ice coverage in arctic regions.
ARC1 was launched in October 2015, but contact was never made. Following a critical failure analysis, students identified several areas of improvement for the design and are incorporating these improvements into ARC2.
Testing
Engineering graduate student Jesse Frey, right, works with Denise Thorsen, director of UAF’s Space Grant program, on final testing of a cube-shaped satellite, or “cubesat” designed and built by Jesse and other students. The cubesat was launched into space in October, 2015 from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact us for further information or collaboration opportunities.
Address
Joseph E. Usibelli Engineering Building (JUB), Room 146
1764 Tanana Loop, JUB 146
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775
USA
dlthorsen@alaska.edu (Denise Thorsen, SSEP Faculty Advisor)
uaf-ssep@alaska.edu (Quetzal Luebke-Laroque, SSEP Lab Manager)