CUSat was a multi-year effort to design, build, and launch an autonomous in-orbit inspection satellite system. The one satellite system would allow us test the accuracy of the centimeter accuracy carrier-phase differential GPS (CDGPS) to less than 10 cm by comparing the CDGPS navigation solution to the known distance between GPS antennas. The satellite, being equipped with a camera, would also capture imagery, of the Earth, the Moon, and the comet ISON, and send these images to a ground station on Earth. The nano-satellite was also equipped with Pulsed Plasma Thrusters (PPTs). These were planned to be tested last, once the other mission objectives have been verified.

CUSat was the winner of the University Nanosat-4 Program which aimed to educate the future aerospace workforce and develop new space technologies.

CUSat Has Launched

CUSat launched on September 29th, 2013 from Vandenberg AFB, CA on a SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket. The team has since completed mission operations.