First Launch

SunSat's Journey to the Stratosphere!

October 17th, 2023, a monumental day for SunSat as we successfully launched our first mission to the stars!

Firstly we would like to thank Sent Into Space for all their help, expertise, and professionalism throughout this journey, and for making our dream become a reality.

Check out our launch footage:

Mission Highlights:

🚀 Soaring Heights: With an apogee of over 100,000 feet! We pushed the boundaries of what we thought possible.

🛰 First Launch of SunSat: This mission marked the maiden voyage for SunSat, with a 2U CubeSat designed to showcase our brilliance even with time constraints.

📡 Avionics Testing: In the first unit, we rigorously tested our avionics components - Temperature Sensor, Gas Sensor, Pressure Sensor, and CO2 Sensor. To monitor the air quality of the atmosphere and compare our data and findings against existing verified and credible sources. With results of near-complete accuracy, it is nothing short of a testament to our Structures and Avionics Team. The unit also served as an incredible lens, capturing breath-taking footage of our entire journey.

🔬 Biology meets Space: In the second unit, we collaborated with a brilliant PhD student in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the School of Biosciences, Ana Paula Guevara-Cerdán, to test cultured amoebae and explore their ability to survive, form multicellular aggregates and morph into fruiting bodies under the influence of variable gravity, temperature, and pressure. The results were nothing short of fascinating, opening new frontiers for biological experimentation in the UK. The aim of this interdisciplinary work is to expand our understanding of the effects of the space environment on living organisms and ultimately support 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