ThinSat Program
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:
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 |
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USCGA - 2 | New London, CT | Horizon Sensing, GPS, "Coal Car" 3 Batteries, Particles, IMU usage, IR, Plasa, Temperature |
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USCGA - 3 | New London, CT | TSL Primary |
ThinSat Program Overview:
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Key Points:
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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.