Generations of SunSat

2nd year Aerospace Engineering student, Lahari Ballina shares what it's like being a Structures Engineer at SunSat...

1. What was your role on the team, and what was the most exciting project you worked on?
   "I was a structures engineer on Team Sky Watchers, where we designed a CubeSat for the UKSEDS competition. This year, we had to make a satellite capable of RPO missions. It was a really exciting project to work on, as we got to see how our satellite behaved through various testing stages, both physical and simulated."

2. Did you ever have a “breakthrough” moment where things finally clicked?
   "Yes, during manufacturing and assembly. Once we had the components in front of us, it was much easier to understand how everything fit together."

3. What was your favorite memory from your time in SunSat?
   "It was the day before the competition, when I was screwing everything together and was able to hold an (almost) finished CubeSat. Considering we remade the entire structure in just two days, it was very gratifying to see it all fit together. Also, the long days with my team at the iForge, when everything went wrong (before it all worked out), were truly unforgettable. "

4. What skills from SunSat have you found most useful in your work today?
   "Working with people from different technical backgrounds taught me a lot about the considerations needed to complete a project. It was also a great opportunity to explore interests I may not have otherwise. And of course, Fusion 360. "

5. If you could give one piece of advice to current or future SunSat members, what would it be?
   "There’s only so much planning and designing a team (or person) can do. At some point, it’s best to just start prototyping, and the issues you didn’t even know existed will make themselves known."

Published: 17 September 2025