About WiSE

We start by defining the mission—goals, success criteria, and constraints on mass, power, budget, and schedule. Then we break the work into subsystems (Mission Software, Flight Software, Structures, Publicity, Finance) with clear owners and deadlines. We prototype early to retire risk and outline the ground tools we’ll need for planning, commanding, and telemetry. Designs move through formal reviews with mentors, and we only “freeze” once action items and test plans are set.

Next, we build and integrate hardware and code while Finance keeps parts moving and the budget on track. We test like we fly: bench checks → hardware-in-the-loop → environmental/functional → full end-to-end rehearsals, all driven by checklists. Mission Software prepares pass plans, command scripts, and dashboards while we validate the ground station and procedures. We fly with disciplined Go/No-Go, capture data, share a public recap (Publicity), and roll lessons into the next mission.

WiSE exists because talent is everywhere, but access isn’t. We’re a women-led team that gives high-school engineers real mission responsibility—designing, building, and flying hardware instead of just talking about it. Representation matters in aerospace, and so does repetition: every project is a chance to learn, lead, and bring more voices to the table.

Your support turns ambition into flight hardware—boards, sensors, tests, and passes on the ground station. We document our process, share what works, and mentor younger students so the pipeline widens behind us. We’ve already launched a CubeSat and are building a BalloonSat to study atmospheric ozone; next up is a repeatable, student-run flight pipeline. Join us to help more students see themselves in space—and put more student missions in the sky.