Small Satellite Research Laboratory

In 2015, three undergraduate students at the University of Georgia (Caleb Adams, Graham Grable, and Nicholas "Hollis" Neel) had the idea to found an aerospace start-up. Two of the three students had been part of a previous start-up through an accelerator program at the university. Adams and Neel co-founded a company called Spacey Sciences, LLC.{{Cite web |last=Falcon @miae467 |first=Mia |date=2015-10-28 |title=Student group races against Georgia Tech to launch satellite into space |url=https://www.redandblack.com/uganews/student-group-races-against-georgia-tech-to-launch-satellite-into-space/article_824f8d5e-7d24-11e5-8771-efc3e3e25307.html |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=The Red & Black |language=en}} The students' initial idea was to build a large, remote-operated, 3D-printed telescope.{{Cite web |title=Programmers, developers gather for 36-hour VTHacks marathon |url=https://news.vt.edu/content/news_vt_edu/en/articles/2015/02/02122015-engineering-vthacksevent.html |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=news.vt.edu |language=en}} In a single night, they built a prototype of the telescope at VTHacks in February of 2015.

The project was originally intended to be crowdfunded on Kickstarter, but it grew in scope and complexity over time, driving Adams, Neel, and Grable to seek faculty support and research funding. Adams began emailing UGA faculty, and ultimately connected with Dr. Marshall Shepherd in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Geography.{{Cite web |last=Georgia |first=Aaron Hale University of |title=Prospect of space launch looking up for UGA students, faculty |url=https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/education/2018/12/22/prospect-of-space-launch-looking-up-for-uga-students-faculty/6577669007/ |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=Online Athens |language=en-US}}

The Department of Geography was intrigued by the potential to use CubeSats for Earth observation. Shepherd put the students of Spacey Sciences, LLC in touch with then-associate professor Dr. Deepak R. Mishra and research scientist Dr. David Cotten, who were investigating the possibility of CubeSats for observation of near-coastal ocean health and productivity. The founding group of students entered into collaboration with Mishra and Cotten, forming the rudiments of the Small Satellite Research Laboratory.

As of November 2015, the collaboration was known as the "CubeSat project", with Adams serving as the student leader.{{Cite web |last=Falcon @miae467 |first=Mia |date=2015-11-14 |title=Student 'hackers' create community for computer scientists |url=https://www.redandblack.com/uganews/student-hackers-create-community-for-computer-scientists/article_6cf4d440-8a04-11e5-bdc2-a356d3064d5b.html |access-date=2024-03-11 |website=The Red & Black |language=en}} In October of 2020, the Small Satellite Research Laboratory launched Spectral Ocean Color (SPOC).

Currently, the lab works with two entities: the Air Force Research Laboratory's University Nanosatellite Program is funding the construction of one 6U CubeSat, while Let's Go to Space, Inc. is funding the MEMESat-1 mission, a 2U CubeSat.{{cite web|title=Enhancing STEM Education through CubeSats: Using Satellite Integration as a Teaching Tool at a Non-Tech School|url=http://smallsat.uga.edu/assets/docs/posters/AGU2016-SSRL-final3.pdf|publisher=UGA|accessdate=28 Feb 2017}}{{Cite web |title=MEMESat-1 {{!}} Let's Go to Space |url=https://letsgo2space.com/memesatellite-1/ |access-date=2024-03-16 |language=en-US}}

The SSRL now consists of over 50 members, and marks the first attempt at a space program at the University of Georgia.{{cite web|title=Students' satellites could launch space program for UGA|url=http://onlineathens.com/local-news-mobile/2016-05-12/students-satellites-could-launch-space-program-uga|publisher=Athens Online|accessdate=28 Feb 2017}} The SSRL has stated that it plans to become the university's premier space program, and to establish the school's continual presence in space.[http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/uga-small-satellite-research-lab-plans-launch-for/article_9331116a-1838-11e6-97be-d31846563bc8.html UGA Small Satellite Research Lab plans launch for 2018 ] This will make the University of Georgia one of the first institutions in the state of Georgia to send a complete satellite into space.[http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/student-group-races-against-georgia-tech-to-launch-satellite-into/article_824f8d5e-7d24-11e5-8771-efc3e3e25307.html Student group races against Georgia Tech to launch satellite into space]{{cite web |title=NASA Announces Eighth Class of Candidates for Launch of CubeSat Space |website=NASA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122222345/https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-announces-eighth-class-of-candidates-for-launch-of-cubesat-space-missions/ |archive-date=2023-01-22 |url-status=live |url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-announces-eighth-class-of-candidates-for-launch-of-cubesat-space-missions}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = SPOC

| operator = UGA Small Satellite Research Laboratory

| mission_type = Climate Research

| launch_mass = {{convert|3.99|kg}}

| dimensions = 10cm x 10cm x 34.05cm

| instruments = Hyperspectral Sensor

| telescope_wavelength = 400nm–900nm

| launch_date = October 2, 2020

| launch_rocket = Antares 230+

| launch_site = Wallops Flight Facility

| launch_contractor = Northrop Grumman

| deployment_date = November 5, 2020

| decay_date = June 25, 2022{{cite web |url=https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=46921 |title=SPOC |work=N2YO.com |date=25 June 2022 |access-date=9 July 2022}}

}}

The Spectral Ocean Color imager, known as SPOC, was a 3U CubeSat. It was the University of Georgia's first satellite mission.[http://news.uga.edu/releases/article/cubesat-nasa-air-force-build-launch-two-cube-satellites-0516/ UGA team selected by NASA, Air Force to build and launch two cube satellites] SPOC was launched to the International Space Station on October 2, 2020 from NASA Wallops Flight Facility onboard the Cygnus NG-14 commercial resupply spacecraft. On November 5, 2020, SPOC was deployed from the International Space Station via the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer, where it officially began its mission.

The SPOC satellite was selected in by the NASA's [https://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/education/students/opportunities/usip/index.html Undergraduate Student Instrument Project] and NASA's eight [http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/home/CubeSats_initiative CubeSat Launch Initiative] to be built in 2016-2018 and launched in 2018, 2019, or 2020.{{cite web|title=NASA Selects Proposals for Student Flight Research Opportunities|url=http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-selects-proposals-for-student-flight-research-opportunities|publisher=NASA|accessdate=27 Feb 2017}}

The primary objective of the SPOC Satellite mission was to perform the first moderate resolution multispectral analysis of the following phenomena off the Georgia coast from low earth orbit: vegetation heath, primary productivity, ocean productivity, near-coastal sediment, organic matter, and mapping the production of shelf waters and salt marshes. The SSRL also sought to build a unique Georgia coastal imagery library that aggregates and classifies all gathered data from SPOC.{{cite journal|url=https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/smallsat/2022/all2022/53/ |title=Spectral Ocean Color (SPOC): Lessons Learned from the University of Georgia Small Satellite Research Laboratory's First Satellite|date=2022|first1=Sydney |last1=Whilden |first2=Deepak |last2=Mishra |first3=David L. |last3=Cotten |first4=Nicholas |last4=Neel|journal=Small Satellite Conference |access-date=January 2, 2023}} Data from the SPOC mission will supplement the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research Program's data with data of Sapelo Island from orbit. The data sets generated by the SPOC satellite will be comparable to NASA's MODIS sensor on the Terra satellite from the spectral ranges of 450nm - 900nm.[http://smallsat.uga.edu/assets/docs/posters/AGU2016-SPOC-final2.pdf The SPectral Ocean Color (SPOC) Small Satellite Mission: From Payload to Ground Station Development and Everything in Between]

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = MOCI

| operator = UGA Small Satellite Research Laboratory

| mission_type = Technology Demonstration

| website = http://smallsat.uga.edu

| launch_mass = {{convert|3.99|kg}}

| dimensions = 10cm x 20cm x 34.05cm

| instruments = CCD Imaging System

| telescope_resolution = 10m

}}

The Multi-view Onboard Computational Imager Satellite, known as the MOCI satellite, is a 6U CubeSat that will be the University of Georgia's second satellite. The MOCI satellite was selected in the ninth iteration of the University Nanosatellite Program, UNP-9. The primary mission of the MOCI satellite will be to perform structure from motion (SfM) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and generate 3D point clouds on a landscape scale to generate Digital Elevation Models. This will be the first time a CubeSat has specialized in building 3D models using structure from motion. MOCI will employ customize algorithms for feature extraction, structure from motion, surface reconstruction, data compression, and oceanic anomaly detection.

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