AggieSat Lab is a Student Satellite Program housed within the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University. The goal of the Lab is to develop and demonstrate modern technologies by using a small-satellite platform, while educating students and enriching the undergraduate experience. Our Lab takes an integrated approach to small-spacecraft research, design-build-fly, and education for multidisciplinary teams of freshmen through graduate students, along with industry and government affiliates.

Students are responsible for the whole design process from concept to end-of-mission. Students simultaneously pursue degrees and participate in a business environment with real-world deliverables, quality-assurance checks, documentation, design and safety reviews, and organization. The goal is for our students to gain hands-on mastery in current tools, systems engineering, and industry practices related to specification, design, analysis, fabrication, and testing of space vehicle systems, while actively applying and extending complementary concepts taught in classes and making critical decisions. The context for this program is in advancing small real satellites, yet the skill set learned is applicable to a wide variety of disciplines and industries.

For more information, please visit the AggieSat Lab website.

Missions

  • AggieSat1: Free-Molecule Micro-ResistoJet (AFRL)
  • AggieSat2 & Bevo 1: DRAGON, Dual RF Astrodynamic GPS Orbital Navigator (JSC , AFMD)
  • AggieSat3: STEREO vision hardware (not flown)
  • AggieSat4 & Bevo 2: Relative navigation and communication (on orbit until 2017)