VelcroSat

The Capitol College Space Initiative Picosatellite Who better than our next generation of engineers to tackle an unsolved problem?  The VelcroSat team at Capitol College is a student-run project tackling the problem of space orbital debris.  VelcroSat is creating a set of picosatellites (small 1-kg CubeSat) to test concepts for orbital debris removal. The VelcroSat project is student-lead and student-run, advised by our AE Faculty but driven by the concepts the students have researched and designed.  The team goals are to complete their initial design selection by late 2012, pass a CDR (Critical Design Review) provided courtesy of a Capitol adjunct who is a NASA engineer, then move into the build and test stages over the next two years, aiming for a launch in the 2015-2017 timeframe. VelcroSat involves students from all majors and disciplines.   Astronautical engineering majors lead concept design, electronic engineers craft the picosat internals, computer science majors tackle the programming needs, and business majors provide management and tracking to keep this team functioning amidst the usual hectic pace of student life. Our goal is not just to work on a future-looking space issue, but also that the VelcroSat students will be able to say that, during their time here, they had hands-on work with genuine space hardware intended for orbit. Capitol is happy to work with corporate partners as we move along in the VelcroSat challenge