The Missouri University of Science and Technology Satellite Research Team (M-SAT) is a diverse team composed of students ranging from freshman to PhD graduate students, in degree programs that span chemistry, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, engineering management, mechanical engineering, and others. All members of M-SAT join voluntarily or as aerospace senior design students.

The team formed during the summer of 2002 as the UMR SAT team with the goal of driving innovation in small satellite technology. As suggested by NASA, the original concept of the team’s first satellite was a short tethered pair of spacecraft that would perform close proximity operations called Missouri-Rolla (MR) and Missouri-Rolla Second (MRS). M-SAT submitted a proposal and was accepted into the NS-4 competition with the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP) and after participating and placing highly in the NS-4, NS-6, and NS-7 competitions, the M-SAT team placed first in the NS-8 competition in January 2015.

In addition to MR and MRS SAT, the team is also working on three other satellite missions. The first satellite is Multi-Mode Mission (M³). The 3U CubeSat M³ is an innovative propulsion technology demonstration mission. The Second is [Enter Info About APEX Here]. The third is the Doppler Experiment for Search Tracking and Rescue (DEXSTR), which is part of the UNP Mission Concept-1 (MC-1) Program. DEXSTR will be designed to demonstrate using an onboard algorithm to geolocate an emergency beacon in a single pass for search and rescue operations.

The goal of the team is to develop small satellite technologies while educating students with the design/integrate/test/fly process involved in flying a satellite and to prepare members for the real space industry. As a group, we strive to create and explore the possibilities of small satellite design and drive innovation in a way that helps not only the students and the space industry but hopefully the future of spaceflight.

3…2…1… M-SAT!