CubeSat Flight Laboratory
The CubeSat Flight Laboratory develops 1U CubeSats for educational flight missions on high-altitude balloons, simulating end-to-end spacecraft development under real mission constraints. The project integrates structures, power, communications, and software into a flight-ready system.
Team Delta
As the Project Manager & Structures Lead, my responsibilities included managing a cross-functional team of six engineers, coordinating schedules, subsystem interfaces, and design reviews, and leading the mechanical architecture of the spacecraft.
CubeSat Flight Laboratory02 / 05
Design, Build, Test, & Fly
Design The mission architecture was driven by mass, power, and interface constraints across structures, EPS, software, and communications. The structural system was designed in SolidWorks, defining load paths, mounting interfaces, and internal layout to support avionics and payloads. Requirements and subsystem interfaces were controlled through formal design reviews and trade studies. Build & Integration Subsystem components were fabricated, assembled, and integrated into a 1U form factor. Coordination across electrical, software, and mechanical teams ensured proper fit, grounding, cable routing, and structural stability. Design-for-manufacturability improvements reduced machining complexity and shortened build timelines. Test & Validation Structural verification included vibration testing, thermal cycling, and fit-check testing to validate survivability and subsystem compatibility. These tests were used to identify failure modes early and drive design iteration prior to flight readiness.
CubeSat Flight Laboratory03 / 05
Launch Day
The team successfully launched and recovered the vehicle in December 2025, obtaining all the data outlined by the requirements. Overall, demonstrating spacecraft-level systems thinking, mechanical design under tight constraints, verification-driven engineering, and cross-disciplinary leadership — skills directly applicable to satellite hardware development and mission integration.
CubeSat Flight Laboratory04 / 05
CubeSat Flight Laboratory05 / 05