Student-built satellite to join NASA’s IMAP mission aboard SpaceX rocket

Students’ CubeSat Heads for SpaceX Launch to Collect Data for NASA’s IMAP Project (Representational Image: Canva)

When a loaf-sized satellite built by students heads into space this November, it will carry not only sensors but also dreams of young engineers. The miniature spacecraft, called 3UCubed, is designed by undergraduates from three U.S. universities and will soon fly alongside NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission.

Student-Built Satellite to Study Solar Wind and Space Weather
The CubeSat, built by a team of 70 students from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Sonoma State University (SSU) and Howard University (HU), is scheduled to launch no earlier than 10:19 a.m. PST on 10 November 2025. The launch will take place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX rocket.

The satellite’s mission is to study the solar wind and its effects on Earth’s upper atmosphere. The findings will help scientists improve space weather forecasting and protect systems such as communication networks, power grids and GPS from large solar flare events.

According to Noé Lugaz, research professor of physics and astronomy at UNH, the mission gives students a chance to gain hands-on experience in real-world space science. He said the collaboration helps students learn “everything from designing an instrument to operating it in orbit.”

Five Years of Design, Coding and Testing
The CubeSat was developed under NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative, which encourages student participation in space missions. Over five years, students designed, assembled and coded every component of 3UCubed — from the flight software to the satellite’s physical structure.

Each student played a role in the process, whether soldering wires, analysing orbits, or testing instruments. The name 3UCubed symbolises the three universities’ joint effort and the mission’s focus on uplifting undergraduate learning.

At UNH, students developed the instrument software and calibrated the satellite’s two main instruments. SSU students led the ground station software development and will manage data communication once the satellite is in orbit. Meanwhile, HU students collaborated with UNH to build a backup ground station.

Former UNH student Alex Chesley, now an engineer at STS Aerospace, said the project opened doors to his current career. “It was fascinating to learn about space science and engineering I’d never studied before,” he said.

CubeSat Mission Builds Skills and Lifelong Connections
CubeSats like 3UCubed are small, cost-effective satellites about the size of a loaf of bread. They offer an affordable way for students to explore space science and engineering beyond the classroom.

The satellite will orbit within the thermosphere, a region also home to the International Space Station, to measure atmospheric density and electron precipitation. The collected data will be compared with IMAP readings to help scientists understand how solar wind affects Earth’s upper atmosphere.

SSU alumna Haley Joerger, now an application engineer at Keysight Technologies, said the project shaped her career and confidence. “The mentorship I received guided my growth and gave me lifelong friendships,” she said.

SSU students have also engaged with amateur radio operators and Scout members in their region to build a local ground station for communicating with the satellite.

As the 3UCubed prepares for liftoff, it represents more than a student project — it’s a launchpad for the next generation of space scientists, engineers and explorers.