Irvine CubeSat STEM Program#IRVINE01
Irvine CubeSat STEM Program (ICSP) is a joint educational endeavor to teach, train and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. ICSP involves students from six high schools from Irvine, California, and its main objective is to assemble, test, and launch a CubeSat into low Earth orbit.
ICSP's initial concepts were conceived by Brent Freeze when he was working with Arnold O. Beckman High School physics teacher Paul Lewanski on a weather balloon project; Freeze later founded the program with Kain Sosa.
The Irvine CubeSat STEM Program was shut down in the 2022 school year. The Irvine Public School Foundation (IPSF) reallocated the CubeSat funding elsewhere and Brent Freeze has left the project to pursue other endeavors. This change could have resulted from the lack of productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of talented students. It is rumored that the program could return during the 2023 school year.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
Overview
The Irvine CubeSat STEM Program was created in 2015 by Brent Freeze and Kain Sosa. Freeze took inspiration from his work alongside Arnold O. Beckman High School physics teacher Paul Lewanski on a weather balloon project.{{Cite web|url=https://www.irvinecubesat.org/copy-of-about|title=Irvine CubeSat Program|website=irvinecubesat|access-date=2017-11-13|archive-date=2017-11-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114093315/https://www.irvinecubesat.org/copy-of-about|url-status=dead}}
Two years after the weather balloon project, Freeze contacted Lewanski about the idea of a CubeSat program. Beckman High School supported the program fully, and became the first ICSP team, Beckman Avionics. Following Beckman High School, Freeze and Sosa interviewed teachers at other high schools in Irvine, and the other subteams were created based on each schools' resources and teacher skill sets.
The Irvine CubeSat STEM Program aims to inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers, creators, programmers, and explorers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irvineinspired.com/irvines-cubesat.html|title=Irvine's Cubesat|website=Irvine Inspired|access-date=2017-11-21|archive-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201080852/http://www.irvineinspired.com/irvines-cubesat.html|url-status=dead}} ICSP is composed of six public high schools from the Tustin {{Cite web|url=http://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/|title=Home - Tustin Unified School District|website=www.tustin.k12.ca.us|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-13}} and Irvine{{Cite web|url=https://iusd.org/|title=IUSD.org|website=IUSD.org|language=en|access-date=2017-11-13}} School Districts: Arnold O. Beckman High School;{{Cite web|url=http://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/beckman|title=Beckman High School - Tustin Unified School District|website=www.tustin.k12.ca.us|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-13}} Irvine High School;{{Cite web|url=http://www.irvinehigh.org/|title=Irvine High School|website=www.irvinehigh.org|access-date=2017-11-13}} Northwood High School (Irvine, California);{{Cite web|url=https://northwoodhigh.iusd.org/|title=Northwood HS|website=Northwood HS|language=en|access-date=2017-11-13}} Portola High School;{{Cite web|url=http://web.iusd.org/phs/|title=Portola High School|website=web.iusd.org|language=en|access-date=2017-11-13|archive-date=2017-11-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105150838/http://web.iusd.org/phs/|url-status=dead}} University High School (Irvine, California);{{Cite web|url=http://www.universityhigh.org/|title=Home - University High School, Irvine|website=www.universityhigh.org|language=en-gb|access-date=2017-11-13}} and Woodbridge High School (Irvine, California).{{Cite web|url=http://woodbridgehigh.org/|title=Woodbridge High School|website=woodbridgehigh.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-11-13}} Each school is given a specific role for the CubeSat missions, such as communications, propulsion, or power.
| class="wikitable floatright"
|High school |Lead for team: |
| Arnold O. Beckman High School
|Avionics [https://ca01001904.schoolwires.net/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=4104&dataid=13474&FileName=School%20News%20Roll%20Call%20-%20February-March%202017.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115143605/https://ca01001904.schoolwires.net/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=4104&dataid=13474&FileName=School%20News%20Roll%20Call%20-%20February-March%202017.pdf |date=2017-11-15 }} |
| Irvine High School
|Propulsion |
| Northwood High School
|Power |
| Portola High School
|BioTech |
| University High School
|Prime |
| Woodbridge High School
|Communications |
Team members for the program's inaugural mission, IRVINE01, were selected in 2016.{{Cite news|url=https://ipsf.net/what-we-do/irvine-cubesat/|title=Irvine CubeSat - IPSF|work=IPSF|access-date=2017-11-13|language=en-US}} Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems provided engineering support and served as ICSP's integration partner.{{Cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/tn-wknd-et-cube-launch-20170810-story.html|title=Irvine students enter final phase of their mission to launch a satellite|last=Chan|first=Alex|date=2017-08-10|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-11-21|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}} The Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency also provided support as well as the deployable solar arrays, the batteries and the radiation shielding panels.{{Cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/irvine-01.htm|title=Irvine 01 - Gunter's Space Page {{!}} Science and Technology|website=space.skyrocket.de|language=en|accessdate=2018-01-02}}{{Cite web|url=http://exa.ec/bp66/index-en.html|title=ECUADORIAN SPACE AGENCY DELIVERS ITS SPACE TECHNOLOGY IN USA {{!}} Science and Technology|website=exa.ec|language=en|accessdate=2018-01-04}}
ICSP's first nano-satellite, IRVINE01, was launched on November 10, 2018, on a Rocket Lab Electron entitled "It's Business Time". ICSP's second nanosatellite, IRVINE02, was launched on December 3, 2018, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 as part of the Spaceflight Industries' rideshare mission, SSO-A Smallsat Express.{{Cite web|url=http://spaceflight.com/sso-a/|title=SSO-A|website=Spaceflight|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-03|archive-date=2021-01-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122072700/http://spaceflight.com/sso-a/|url-status=dead}} The high schools have already begun work on their next CubeSat: IRVINE03.
In addition to building CubeSats, ICSP educates hosts a guest speaker series with expert insight into space and technology. To date, guest speakers included Jordi Puig-Suari (co-inventor of the CubeSat standard), Commander Ronnie Nader {{Cite web|url=http://exa.ec/whois.htm|title=.:Ronnie Nader Bello:. the First Ecuadorian Astronaut|website=exa.ec|access-date=2018-05-31}} (from the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency), Michael Minovitch (gravity assist maneuver), NASA Astronaut Mike Massimino, and Pamela Clark (Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory CubeSat Development Lab{{Cite web|url=https://scienceandtechnology.jpl.nasa.gov/cubesat-development-lab|title=Cubesat Development Lab {{!}} Science and Technology|website=scienceandtechnology.jpl.nasa.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-11-21}}).
The Irvine Public School Foundation (IPSF)[https://ipsf.net/] is a sponsor of ICSP, providing over $150,000 in funding annually with the support of corporate sponsors: FivePoint, Ingersoll-Rand/Trane, Google, Cisco Systems, Resilient, Microsemi, and the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation [http://www.beckman-foundation.org/].{{Cite web|url=http://www.beckman-foundation.org/beckman-news/CubeSatdonation|title=Support to our local community - $25,000 Gift to Irvine Public Schools Foundation for the Irvine CubeSat Program|last=webdesign|first=MaryHiggins|website=www.beckman-foundation.org|language=en|access-date=2017-11-21|archive-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034125/http://www.beckman-foundation.org/beckman-news/CubeSatdonation|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://ipsf.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Irvine-CubeSat-Irvine01-Team-Updates-July-2017-FINAL.pdf|title=IRVINE01 2017 Update}}
Satellites
=IRVINE01=
IRVINE01 is an educational 1U CubeSat mission that gives high school students the experience of building, testing, and controlling a nano-satellite to develop interest and talent in the science and engineering fields.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cubesats/overview|title=CubeSats Overview|last=Loff|first=Sarah|date=2015-07-22|work=NASA|access-date=2017-11-15|language=en|archive-date=2023-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526143434/https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cubesats/overview/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cubesatshop.com/helpful-links/about-cubesats/|title=About CubeSats - CubeSatShop.com|work=CubeSatShop.com|access-date=2017-11-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.irvinecubesat.org/|title=Irvine CubeSat STEM Program|website=irvinecubesat|access-date=2017-11-13}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.ocregister.com/2017/07/26/irvine-high-school-students-ready-their-mini-satellite-for-launch-into-orbit/|title=Irvine high school students ready their mini satellite for launch into orbit|date=2017-07-27|work=Orange County Register|access-date=2017-11-13|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/students-build-satellite-launch-to-space-436880903.html|title=Students Prepare to Launch Satellite They Built Into Space|work=NBC Southern California|access-date=2017-11-13|language=en}} The mission features a camera, which will be used to take pictures of nearby celestial objects, as well as the first in orbital ion electrospray thruster developed by Accion Systems. Other technology aboard include deployable solar arrays and magnetorquers, both supplied by the Ecuadorian Space Agency.
IRVINE01 was launched from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on November 11, 2018, as part of an Electron rocket mission operated by Rocket Lab entitled It's Business Time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rocketlabusa.com/news/updates/rocket-lab-reaches-orbit-again-deploys-more-satellites/|title=Rocket Lab reaches orbit again, deploys more satellites|date=2018-11-11|website=www.rocketlabusa.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-11}}Ashlee Vance. [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-11/rocket-launch-in-new-zealand-brings-quick-cheap-space-access Rocket Launch in New Zealand Brings Quick, Cheap Space Access] Bloomberg L.P.
IRVINE01 reentered the atmosphere on February 3, 2023.{{cite web |url=https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=43693 |title=IRVINE01 |work=N2YO.com |date=2023-02-03 |access-date=2023-02-15}}
=IRVINE02=
ICSP's second and third CubeSats have been selected by NASA to participate in NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa).{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasa.gov/content/about-elana|title=About ELaNa|last=Heiney|first=Anna|date=2015-04-13|work=NASA|access-date=2017-11-21|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-announces-eighth-class-of-candidates-for-launch-of-cubesat-space-missions|title=NASA Announces Eighth Class of Candidates for Launch of CubeSat Space|last=Jackson|first=Shanessa|date=2017-02-17|work=NASA|access-date=2018-04-30|language=en|archive-date=2019-07-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725131443/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-announces-eighth-class-of-candidates-for-launch-of-cubesat-space-missions/|url-status=dead}} IRVINE02 features an ion electrospray thruster, the second of Accion Systems thrusters to reach orbit. Beyond the thruster, IRVINE02 utilizes magnetorquers, deployable solar arrays, a GPS unit, and a laser to transmit pictures and data back to Earth.{{Cite news|url=http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/12/second-year-of-irvines-high-school-satellite-launch-program-gets-help-from-nasa/|title=Second year of Irvine's high school satellite launch program gets help from NASA|date=2017-09-12|work=Orange County Register|access-date=2017-11-13|language=en-US}} It is one of the smallest CubeSats with an onboard electric propulsion system.
IRVINE02 launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on December 3, 2018, as part of NASA's ELaNa educational program{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasa.gov/content/upcoming-elana-cubesat-launches|title=Upcoming ELaNa CubeSat Launches|last=Jackson|first=Shanessa|date=2016-07-03|work=NASA|access-date=2018-08-07|language=en}} aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 alongside 64 other spacecraft on the mission SSO-A: Smallsat Express.{{Cite news|url=http://spaceflight.com/spaceflight-prepares-historic-launch-of-more-than-70-spacecraft-aboard-spacex-falcon-9/|title=Spaceflight Prepares Historic Launch of More Than 70 Spacecraft Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 - Spaceflight|date=2018-08-06|work=Spaceflight|access-date=2018-08-07|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322004622/http://spaceflight.com/spaceflight-prepares-historic-launch-of-more-than-70-spacecraft-aboard-spacex-falcon-9/|url-status=dead}}
=IRVINE03=
On March 2, 2018, NASA selected IRVINE03{{Cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/irvine-03.htm|title=Irvine 03|website=space.skyrocket.de|access-date=2018-04-30}} to take part in NASA's ninth round of NASA CubeSat candidates.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-announces-ninth-round-of-candidates-for-cubesat-space-missions|title=NASA Announces Ninth Round of Candidates for CubeSat Space Missions|last=Jackson|first=Shanessa|date=2018-02-20|work=NASA|access-date=2018-04-30|language=en}} IRVINE03 will include a technology demonstration of an X-ray Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) sensor and electrospray thrusters. IRVINE 03 was expected to launch in mid 2020, but the launch was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The launch is further delayed due to leadership problems.