SU Physics Students Selected for Virginia Space ThinSat Launch

SALISBURY, MD---Eight Salisbury University students are preparing for launch – thanks to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority’s ThinSat program.

“We are sending a satellite into space, so that is pretty cool,” said Jesús Cruz, a junior physics major from Salisbury.

A ThinSat is a small satellite (the size of a slice of bread) that, once launched, relays data back to Earth’s surface for analysis. The Virginia Space program allows students to develop satellite hardware, test sensor components and collect data.

“Our students have the opportunity to design and build a satellite that will be launched on an Northrop Grumman rocket headed to the International Space Station,” said Dr. Steven Binz of SU’s Physics Department. He and physics colleague, Dr. Nicholas Troup, are teaching three consecutive one-credit classes related to the program.

“The first two semesters we will be focused on constructing and testing the satellite, and then we will analyze the data in the final semester,” he said. Currently, the launch is set for November 2019.  

In addition to SU, locally, James M. Bennett High School and Salisbury Middle School also were selected for the program. The Physics Department has helped them with technical issues, and Drs. Starlin Weaver and Jeni Davis from SU’s Samuel W. and Marilyn C. Seidel School of Education assisted with curriculum integration.

Virginia Space created and funds the ThinSat program to increase student engagement and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The long-term goal is to build a local, agile workforce capable of performing 21st century jobs.

This semester, Binz’s students researched what others have done in space, developed questions, and designed a satellite that will collect data to answer those questions once launched. This will include measurements of Earth’s magnetic field, light intensity and color from aurora, and temperature.

“Besides providing experience implementing a science experiment, the ThinSat program gives the students an opportunity to make an impactful discovery,” Binz said. “They are very excited about the opportunity to build something that will go into space.”

Luke Schofield, a junior physics major from Snow Hill, said the program has given him real world experience applicable to his desired career in electrical engineering.

“We had to calculate the power consumption of our modules and figure out how our circuit would be wired and communicate to the onboard microcontroller,” he said. “We had to consider many situations and overcome constraints.”

The other participants are senior Michael Limpert of Federalsburg, MD, and juniors Samantha Koehler of Princess Anne, MD, Ian McCann of Rehoboth Beach, DE, Jack DeRycke of Edgewater, MD, J.T. Richter of Abingdon, MD, and Jake Sands of Middletown, MD. All are studying physics and other related programs at SU.

“I’m excited about our objectives which involve analyzing weather phenomena,” DeRycke said.

Koehler added: “I have gained professional skills including how to write a formal proposal and how to present project ideas to supervisors.”

Alumnus Doug Martin, a senior engineer for Virginia Space and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), recently met with Binz and students to discuss phase two of the project, the construction of an engineering model of their satellite that will be flown on a high altitude balloon to collect atmospheric data. Martin earned a B.S. in physics and minor in mathematics from SU in 2009, and has supported operations for two MARS pads.

Virginia Space owns and operates MARS located at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. It provides launchpads, payload processing facilities and an unmanned systems test range for commercial, government, scientific and academic users. Its ThinSat program was created in partnership with Twiggs Space Lab, Northrop Grumman and NASA Wallops.

For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU website at www.salisbury.edu.