The competition tasked student teams with designing a CubeSat to perform rendezvous and docking maneuvers. Teams were required to demonstrate detumbling, tracking, alignment, and proximity operations in a simulated orbital environment. 

Tanya Samaradiwakara (2nd year Mechanical Engineering student) gives us a new meaning of leadership and what competition day is really like...

Stepping into the Structures Lead role without prior CubeSat experience, Tanya initially felt the weight of impostor syndrome. The year quickly proved that leadership was less about being ‘the most knowledgeable’ and more about management: keeping communication clear, aligning priorities and driving steady progress.

Working closely together, Demi (Avionics Lead) and Tanya established tasks, project timelines, simplified requirements and pushed for high standards; efforts amplified by the whole team as deadlines approached. Tanya was overjoyed to see the project unlock more confidence, passion and talent in everyone and, in the process the team became a close-knit family. She took special pride in the Structures Team’s composure and output around the CDR deadline. SkyWatchers’ commitment to meticulous documentation paid off with a place in the Airbus finals : a milestone they are all proud of.

During the final month of manufacturing, she and Lahari poured countless hours into prototyping and refinement. She quickly learnt the necessity of good manufacturing practice and the importance of a back-up plan. Despite delayed orders and incorrect aluminium parts, she now looks back with fondness on a period defined by all-nighters in the iForge. Tanya’s breakthrough moment came at 10 pm on the penultimate day, seeing the CubeSat finally assembled (especially after a full day with Lahari at the waterjet cutter). Once she finished the presentation for the competition, she felt proud of what they had accomplished in less than two-days and optimistic about the team’s prospects.

It was a bittersweet moment when a component shortage on the CubeSat prevented them from completing the Mystery Room, leaving them fifth. Yet her favourite Competition Day memory came after - what some might call - ‘the worst’ had happened: exhausted and slightly delirious, the team chose to relax, have banter amongst themselves, learn and enjoy the rest of the day. While others remained tense, they made the most of the site visits and networked with Airbus engineers. ‘A top-five finish was a true team effort’, Tanya reflects, crediting the dedication of mentors (Himanshu, Omar and Rabhya) and the countless hours of design squeezed in alongside coursework, lectures and other commitments during the year. In the end, she concluded, the team had faced genuine engineering challenges and navigated them with technical rigour and resilience.

Along the way, Tanya developed a strong appreciation for systems engineering, learnt to design around avionics interfaces, and used Fusion 360 so extensively that CAD and DfM became second nature. After collaborating with the Avionics team, her interest in electrical engineering took off... over the summer, Tanya pursued an edX Circuit Design course.

In joining SunSat, Tanya came to understand what leading a successful team entails, broadened her interests beyond her degree and immersed herself in hands-on engineering, becoming a well-rounded person by the end. She recommends joining student-led projects to apply classroom theory, exchange knowledge with others, foster resilience and think critically. 

‘SunSat is where you unlock your true engineering potential,’ she concludes.

Published: 17 September 2025