First Launch

With an apogee of over 100,000 feet! We pushed the boundaries of what we thought possible. This mission marked the maiden voyage for SunSat, with a 2U CubeSat designed to showcase our brilliance even with time constraints.

In the first unit, we rigorously tested our avionics components, including the Temperature Sensor, Gas Sensor, Pressure Sensor, and CO₂ Sensor to monitor atmospheric air quality and benchmark our findings against verified, credible sources. Achieving results of near-complete accuracy, this work stands as a testament to the skill and precision of our Structures and Avionics Team. Beyond data collection, the unit also served as an incredible visual tool, capturing breathtaking footage that documented the entirety of our journey. 

In the second unit, we collaborated with Ana Paula Guevara-Cerdán, a PhD student in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the School of Biosciences, to explore the survival and behavior of cultured amoebae under varying conditions of gravity, temperature, and pressure. The experiment investigated their ability to endure stress, form multicellular aggregates, and transition into fruiting bodies in space-like environments. The results were fascinating, opening new avenues for biological experimentation in the UK. This interdisciplinary work aims to expand our understanding of how space conditions affect living organisms, with the long-term goal of supporting future human space exploration. 

This journey has been an unforgettable experience, and I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved. A massive thank you to the entire SunSat team and our collaborators at Sent Into Space. As we proved the sky is not the limit; and we continue to aim for the stars!

Special thanks to those on the launch day: Jack Bowley, Benjamin Meadows, Omar Melzi, Himanshu Kriplani