Minnesota Space Grant Supports Students’ Satellite Research
“Working on a satellite that could go to space is something I never imagined I’d do as an undergrad.”
That’s physics major Kelsey Henry describing one reason she’s excited about working in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities’ Small Satellite Research Laboratory.
A transfer student from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Henry sees the challenge of designing small—as in shoebox-sized—satellites as a way to combine art and science. Called CubeSats, these satellites are built to work in near-space and low Earth orbit.
Currently, Henry is working on two sister projects. One will use CubeSats to study powerful flares that erupt from the surface of the sun. The other will test a method of using distant, rapidly spinning stars to navigate in space, where GPS is not an option.
The latter project, says Henry, “will be hosted as an experimental science payload on the International Space Station—a rare opportunity for an undergraduate-led project.”
Read the full article on umn.edu
Original Post Date: 8.29.25
Author Credit: Kristin Kelker
Image Credit: hoto by Pauline Oo, CSE Communications and Marketing.