ThinSat Program

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Do you want to send a satellite to space?!

Virginia Space, in partnership with Twiggs Space Lab, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, and NASA Wallops Flight Facility, has created a low cost, short term program that will increase student engagement and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related fields. This will be achieved by using the ThinSat, a small satellite capable of transmitting data from low earth orbit.

The ThinSat Program sets a new standard for STEM related academics in the space industry.  Students from middle school to the university level will develop satellite hardware, test sensor components with low and high altitude balloon flights, analyze data, and launch an actual payload into space.

 Link to Space Data Dashboard:

sdd.nsldata.com

 

NG-11 Mission

 

After significant investment over the last two years by Virginia Space and program participants, 60 ThinSats and SASSI^2 launched at 4:46 PM on April 17, 2019 as a secondary payload on Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket from Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport located at NASA Wallops Flight Facility.  As of 10:00 AM on April 18, 2019, 49 of the ThinSats carrying standard and custom payloads are transmitting data.   Virginia Space, Twiggs Space Lab, and Near Space Launch are actively working the Space Data Dashboard (SDD) to ensure all schools can view their data.  
 

 

 

	NG-11 Outreach School Satellite Payloads
Lead Institue	Participating Outreach Schools	State	Project Title/Topic/Payload Type
Northrop Grumman
	Anderson Jr. High School	Phoenix, AZ	MEDO Payload
	Long Branch Elementary	Arlington, VA	MEDO Payload
	Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School	Arlington, VA	MEDO Payload
NASA Wallops
	Wallops - 1	Wallops Island, VA	TSL Primary Board + Extension
	Wallops - 2	Wallops Island, VA	TSL Primary
	Chincoteague Combigned School	Chincoteague, VA	MEDO Payload
	Arcadia High School	Oak Hall, VA	MEDO Payload
NASA - Langley
NOAA
	Stall High School	Charleston, SC	MEDO Payload
	Clemson University	Clemson, SC	MEDO Payload
	Mountaineer ThinSat	Fairmont, WV	MEDO Payload
	Sebastian Middle School	Jackson, KY	MEDO Payload
	Martin L. Nesbitt Discovery Jr. Academy; Apollo	Asheville, NC	Horizon Sensing, Particles, IMU usage, IR, Plasa, Temperature
	Martin L. Nesbitt Discovery Jr. Academy; Startbright	Asheville, NC	MEDO Payload
	Johns Creek Elementary	Meta, KY	MEDO Payload
	West Perry Elementary	Hazard, KY	MEDO Payload
Old Dominion University
	Old Dominion University	Norfolk, VA	TSL Primary + Extension
	Norview High School	Norfolk, VA	TSL Primary Board
	Larchmont Elementary School	Norfolk, VA	Horizon Sensing, Particles, IMU usage, IR, Plasa, Temperature
	Lindenwood Elementary School	Norfolk, VA	MEDO Payload
William and Mary
	College of William and Mary	Williamsburg, VA	TSL Primary Board
	Bruton High School	Williamsburg, VA	MEDO Payload
	Renaissance School	Charlottesville, VA	MEDO Payload
	Godwin High School	Richmond, VA	MEDO Payload
	Warhill High School	Williamsburg, VA	MEDO Payload
	Steward School	Richmond, VA	MEDO Payload
Virginia Tech
	Ibraham		MEDO Payload
	New River Community College	Dublin, VA	MEDO Payload
	Patrick County	Patrick County, VA	MEDO Payload
UVA
	Western Albemarle High School	Crozet, VA	MEDO Payload
	First FRC Robotics Team 619	Schuyler, VA	Camera, Particles, IMU, IR, Plasma, Temp
	MESA Albemarle High School	Charlottesville, VA	MEDO Payload
	Piedmont Virginia Community College	Charlottesville, VA	MEDO Payload
	Students for the Exploration and Development of Space	Charlottesville, VA	MEDO Payload
	Charlottesville High School	Charlottesville, VA	BACON / MEDO Payload
Eastern Shore Community College
	Eastern Shore Community College	Melfa, VA	MEDO Payload
	Snow Hill Middle School	Snow Hill, MD	MEDO Payload
	MARS - 1	Wallops Island, VA	TSL Primary + Extension
	MARS - 2	Wallops Island, VA	TSL Primary + Extension
	MARS - 3	Wallops Island, VA	MEDO Payload
Wise County
	Eastside High School	Coeburn, VA	Horizon Sensing, Particles, IMU usage, IR, Plasa, Temperature
	Bland County High School	Rocky Gap, VA	MEDO Payload
	Coeburn Middle School	Coeburn, VA	MEDO Payload
	Lebanon High School	Lebanon, VA	MEDO Payload
	John I Burton High School	Norton, VA	MEDO Payload
	L.F. Addington Middle School	Wise, VA	MEDO Payload
	Washington County Homeschool Leader	Abigndon, VA	MEDO Payload
	St. Paul Elementary	St. Paul, VA	MEDO Payload
	Union Primary School	Big Stone Gap, VA	MEDO Payload
Twiggs Space Lab
	Sphinx Academy	Lexington, KY	MEDO Payload
	MEDO Space	Cape Town, South Africa	MEDO Payload
	Lexington Catholic High School	Lexington, KY	MEDO Payload
	Seton Catholic School	Lexington, KY	TSL Primary
	Morehead State Unversity Rowan County Senior High School	Morehead, KY	GPS, Coal Car, Horizon Sensor, Particles, IMU, IR, Plasma, Temp
	Morehead State Unversity Rowan County Middle School	Morehead, KY	GPS, Coal Car, Horizon Sensor, Particles, IMU, IR, Plasma, Temp
	Morehead State Unversity McBrayer County Elementary School	Morehead, KY	GPS, Coal Car, Horizon Sensor, Particles, IMU, IR, Plasma, Temp
Near Space Launch
	NearSpace Launch	Upland, IN	GPS, Horizon Sensoring, IMU, IR, Plasma, Temp
	The Weiss School	Palm Beach Gardens, FL	TSL Primary + Extension
	King's Academy	Jonesboro, FL	MEDO Payload
	Wilbur Wright College (CCC)	Chicago, IL	TSL Primary + Extension
	Adler Planetarium	Chicago, IL	TSL Primary + Extension
	Muncie Delaware Robotics	Muncie, IN	PhyXgears
	Taylor University	Upland, IN	Custom
	The Indiana Academy	Muncie, IN	Custom
US Coast Guard Academy
	USCGA - 1	New London, CT	Horizon Sensing, GPS, "Coal Car" 3 Batteries, Particles, IMU usage, IR, Plasa, Temperature
	USCGA - 2	New London, CT	Horizon Sensing, GPS, "Coal Car" 3 Batteries, Particles, IMU usage, IR, Plasa, Temperature
	USCGA - 3	New London, CT	TSL Primary

 

 

ThinSat Program Overview: 12U volume capacity Secondary Payload aboard the Northrop Grumman Antares second stage Deployment at 200-250km Live data transmission using GlobalStar User friendly Space Data Dashboard interface for data storage Low and High Altitude Balloon Test Flights

Key Points: Short-term missions completed in a school year Uses latest technology for satellites Universal satellite design integrated with personalized payload Scientific analysis of the atmosphere                   Approximately 5 days of orbit life No space debris after ThinSat deorbit

 

Student Engagment:

Each ThinSat mission spans the length of approximately one school year and incorporates three phases. During these phases, students are introduced to satellite sensors and the engineering iterative process.

Phase 1: Introduction of sensors and development of a sensor-board called the FlatSat. Students conduct flight operations and launch a low-altitude balloon with the FlatSat attached as a data transmitting payload. Students collect and analyze data.

Phase 2:  Students develop a payload representative of the final product and integrate it with a 3D printed Engineering Model of the Thinsat, which will allows for realistic ThinSat testing and verification of data transmission. The Engineering Models are sent to a centralized location for a high altitude balloon flight.

Phase 3: Students use phase 2 data and finalize a payload for flight in orbit. This payload is then sent to Twiggs Space Lab for testing before being integration into a Containerized Satellite Dispenser (CSD) and prepared for launch. The ThinSats are deployed during a Northrop Grumman cargo resupply mission tot he ISS. They are released from the second stage of the Antares rocket into Extreme Low Earth Orbit (ELEO), transmitting data for approximately five days before deorbit and burning upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.

ThinSat as a Picosatellite:

This program was developed with the invention of a picosatellite called the ThinSat, which has dimensions of 11.1 x 11.4 x 1.25 cm and a mass of 280g. The program currently has the capacity to deploy up to 84 ThinSats per mission.

The student payload will make up roughly 50% of the ThinSat volume.

 

Anatomy of an Antares Launch

 

Contact: For more information on the ThinSat Program and how your school can develop its own satellite, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.