This Group Of Hobbyists Built A Satellite That Nasa Carries Into Space

If NASA is going to boldly go where no one has gone before, the federal agency can have Tampa to thank for it. NASA is about to launch the unmanned Artemis 1, the first flight of the Artemis program’s largest mission to build a base on the moon and send astronauts to Mars. Such achievements will require affordable and reliable communication in deep space. That’s where Tampa comes in. A group of mostly hobbyists from around the country – but based in Tampa – built a CubeSat, which is a tiny cube-shaped satellite used in space exploration in recent years. The size of two side-by-side loaves of bread, the solar-powered CubeSat will hitch a ride with Artemis 1, drop below the moon and then be propelled up to 28 million miles away. All the while, their CubeSat will transmit information back to Earth. “It’s pretty incredible,” said Wesley Falor, head of the team known as Team Miles. The story seems to have been ripped out of a sci-fi movie about the government relying on a group of misfits to fulfill a basic mission. Team Miles’ CubaSat won a spot on the rocket through a competition that could still pay them up to $1 million. The 35-person team includes an aerospace engineer and a doctor of radiophysics, but the rest, including Falor, are self-taught amateurs or hobbyists when it comes to space exploration. They are teachers, artists, software designers and IT professionals. “We’re dreamers,” said Falor, who has a degree in manufacturing systems engineering from the GM Institute. NASA’s website says Team Miles’ CubeSat is one of 10 that will be on Artemis 1, each performing “deep space science and technology experiments, expanding our understanding of lunar science, technological advances and radiation of deep space”. But the effectiveness of CubeSats will also be tested. A traditional space satellite can be up to three stories tall and cost billions of dollars. The Team Miles satellite cost about $500,000, funded primarily by private investors and in-kind technology donations. CubeSats may be essential for communicating with Earth if humans colonize the moon, visit Mars, or travel deeper into space. Team Miles joined NASA’s mission through the Cube Quest Challenge, a competition launched in 2015 as part of NASA’s Centennial Challenge Program, which was intended to inspire people from all walks of life to contribute to the space program. “This initiative provides NASA with a mechanism for low-cost technology development and scientific research,” the program’s website states. Team Miles was one of 13 teams participating in the competition and one of two not affiliated with a university. The other consisted of former NASA interns. Created through the nonprofit Tampa Hackerspace, which provides equipment, classes and mentoring for technology-based projects, they learned to build a CubeSat through books and tutorials. To win a spot on Artemis 1, the team submitted hundreds of pages of research detailing how their satellite would operate over two years. Judges scored the project and, in 2017, the top three were selected to fly and then tasked with completing their CubeSats. Team Miles came in third. Of these three, their CubeSat is the only one that made it to Artemis 1 for the Cube Quest Challenge final. “We kept it simple,” Falor said. “We’re not trying to do a five-year science mission. We don’t have a lot of fancy built-in computer software. We were willing to fly a bare minimum mission to go somewhere and send data.” Falor said a competing CubeSat might get a second chance and be on a rocket in January. Team Miles could win $1 million through three contests—longest distance traveled, longest life, and most data sent in 28 days. Their data comes from a smaller satellite inside Team Miles’ CubeSat. Designed by high school students through Destination Space, a nonprofit organization that provides sprout programs across the country, it will measure plasma waves in space. There is already private sector interest in Team Miles’ work. Falor created the company Miles Space, which sold the boosters and communication system used for the CubeSat. The deep space mission, Falor said, will add to the validity of their technology. Meanwhile, Team Miles will split the competition’s earnings based on how much work each member put into the satellite. Some built the technology. Others drew the schematics. Another filmed a fundraising video. “Even someone who worked with us for three months at the beginning, but wasn’t with us for the finish, is worth something,” Falor said. “Everyone played a part in leading us.” NASA’s Moon-observing CubeSat is ready for Artemis launch 2022 Tampa Bay Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Reference: This group of hobbyists built a satellite that NASA carries into space (2022 September 1) Retrieved September 1, 2022 from
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair dealing for purposes of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.

title: “This Group Of Hobbyists Built A Satellite That Nasa Carries Into Space Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-10” author: “Burl Hilliard”

If NASA is going to boldly go where no one has gone before, the federal agency can have Tampa to thank for it. NASA is about to launch the unmanned Artemis 1, the first flight of the Artemis program’s largest mission to build a base on the moon and send astronauts to Mars. Such achievements will require affordable and reliable communication in deep space. That’s where Tampa comes in. A group of mostly hobbyists from around the country – but based in Tampa – built a CubeSat, which is a tiny cube-shaped satellite used in space exploration in recent years. The size of two side-by-side loaves of bread, the solar-powered CubeSat will hitch a ride with Artemis 1, drop below the moon and then be propelled up to 28 million miles away. All the while, their CubeSat will transmit information back to Earth. “It’s pretty incredible,” said Wesley Falor, head of the team known as Team Miles. The story seems to have been ripped out of a sci-fi movie about the government relying on a group of misfits to fulfill a basic mission. Team Miles’ CubaSat won a spot on the rocket through a competition that could still pay them up to $1 million. The 35-person team includes an aerospace engineer and a doctor of radiophysics, but the rest, including Falor, are self-taught amateurs or hobbyists when it comes to space exploration. They are teachers, artists, software designers and IT professionals. “We’re dreamers,” said Falor, who has a degree in manufacturing systems engineering from the GM Institute. NASA’s website says Team Miles’ CubeSat is one of 10 that will be on Artemis 1, each performing “deep space science and technology experiments, expanding our understanding of lunar science, technological advances and radiation of deep space”. But the effectiveness of CubeSats will also be tested. A traditional space satellite can be up to three stories tall and cost billions of dollars. The Team Miles satellite cost about $500,000, funded primarily by private investors and in-kind technology donations. CubeSats may be essential for communicating with Earth if humans colonize the moon, visit Mars, or travel deeper into space. Team Miles joined NASA’s mission through the Cube Quest Challenge, a competition launched in 2015 as part of NASA’s Centennial Challenge Program, which was intended to inspire people from all walks of life to contribute to the space program. “This initiative provides NASA with a mechanism for low-cost technology development and scientific research,” the program’s website states. Team Miles was one of 13 teams participating in the competition and one of two not affiliated with a university. The other consisted of former NASA interns. Created through the nonprofit Tampa Hackerspace, which provides equipment, classes and mentoring for technology-based projects, they learned to build a CubeSat through books and tutorials. To win a spot on Artemis 1, the team submitted hundreds of pages of research detailing how their satellite would operate over two years. Judges scored the project and, in 2017, the top three were selected to fly and then tasked with completing their CubeSats. Team Miles came in third. Of these three, their CubeSat is the only one that made it to Artemis 1 for the Cube Quest Challenge final. “We kept it simple,” Falor said. “We’re not trying to do a five-year science mission. We don’t have a lot of fancy built-in computer software. We were willing to fly a bare minimum mission to go somewhere and send data.” Falor said a competing CubeSat might get a second chance and be on a rocket in January. Team Miles could win $1 million through three contests—longest distance traveled, longest life, and most data sent in 28 days. Their data comes from a smaller satellite inside Team Miles’ CubeSat. Designed by high school students through Destination Space, a nonprofit organization that provides sprout programs across the country, it will measure plasma waves in space. There is already private sector interest in Team Miles’ work. Falor created the company Miles Space, which sold the boosters and communication system used for the CubeSat. The deep space mission, Falor said, will add to the validity of their technology. Meanwhile, Team Miles will split the competition’s earnings based on how much work each member put into the satellite. Some built the technology. Others drew the schematics. Another filmed a fundraising video. “Even someone who worked with us for three months at the beginning, but wasn’t with us for the finish, is worth something,” Falor said. “Everyone played a part in leading us.” NASA’s Moon-observing CubeSat is ready for Artemis launch 2022 Tampa Bay Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Reference: This group of hobbyists built a satellite that NASA carries into space (2022 September 1) Retrieved September 1, 2022 from
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair dealing for purposes of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.