AubieSat-1

AubieSat-1 (radio callsign AubieSat-OSCAR 71) was the first satellite designed, built, and tested by Auburn University, developed almost entirely by undergraduate students in the Auburn University Small Satellite Program (AUSSP). It launched on October 28, 2011 aboard a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, as part of NASA’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) initiative, riding alongside the primary NPP mission.

The 1U CubeSat, measuring 10 x 10 x 10 cm and weighing roughly 1.03 kg, carried out two primary science objectives: testing the on-orbit durability of two different solar panel encapsulation materials against radiation and thermal cycling degradation, and measuring average ionospheric electron density along the line of sight to ground stations using the Faraday rotation effect on its transmitted radio signal. AubieSat-1 also operated as an amateur radio satellite, broadcasting telemetry, battery voltage data, and the Auburn University ‘War Eagle’ battle cry in Morse code to ham radio operators worldwide.

The mission gave Auburn engineering and physics undergraduates end-to-end experience in spacecraft design, integration, environmental testing, and mission operations, establishing the foundation for Auburn’s ongoing small satellite program and subsequent CubeSat missions.