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Irvine CubeSat STEM Program (ICSP) is a joint educational endeavor to teach, train and inspire the next generation of
STEM Stem or STEM most commonly refers to: * Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant * Stem group * Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Stem or STEM can also refer to: Language and writing * Word stem, part of a word respon ...
professionals. ICSP involves students from six high schools from
Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, planned city in central Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It was named in 1888 for the landowner James Irvine. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the ...
, and its main objective is to assemble, test, and launch a
CubeSat A CubeSat is a class of small satellite with a form factor of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit,, url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5418c831e4b0fa4ecac1bacd/t/5f24997b6deea10cc52bb016/1596234122437/CDS+REV14+2020-07-3 ...
into
low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an geocentric orbit, orbit around Earth with a orbital period, period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an orbital eccentricity, eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial object ...
. ICSP's initial concepts were conceived by Brent Freeze when he was working with
Arnold O. Beckman High School Arnold O. Beckman High School is a public school in Irvine, California, Irvine, California, United States, serving 3,013 students from grades 9 through 12. The $94 million facility was opened on August 30, 2004. The World Languages Building ...
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.


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 Arnold O. Beckman High School is a public school in Irvine, California, Irvine, California, United States, serving 3,013 students from grades 9 through 12. The $94 million facility was opened on August 30, 2004. The World Languages Building ...
physics teacher Paul Lewanski on a weather balloon project. Two years after the weather balloon project, Freeze contacted Lewanski about the idea of a
CubeSat A CubeSat is a class of small satellite with a form factor of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit,, url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5418c831e4b0fa4ecac1bacd/t/5f24997b6deea10cc52bb016/1596234122437/CDS+REV14+2020-07-3 ...
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. ICSP is composed of six public high schools from the Tustin and Irvine School Districts:
Arnold O. Beckman High School Arnold O. Beckman High School is a public school in Irvine, California, Irvine, California, United States, serving 3,013 students from grades 9 through 12. The $94 million facility was opened on August 30, 2004. The World Languages Building ...
;
Irvine High School Irvine High School is a public high school, located in the city of Irvine in Orange County, California, United States. It is part of the Irvine Unified School District. The school is located in the El Camino Real neighborhood in the north-cen ...
;
Northwood High School (Irvine, California) Northwood High School is a public high school located in the northernmost part of Irvine, California, Irvine, California, United States, in the Orchard Hills neighborhood. It opened in 1999, and its first graduating class graduated in 2002. In 201 ...
; Portola High School;
University High School (Irvine, California) University High School (also known as UHS or "Uni") is one of six public high schools serving grades 9-12 in the city of Irvine, California, United States. It was established in 1970 and is situated on of land in the southwestern portion of ...
; and
Woodbridge High School (Irvine, California) Woodbridge High School (WHS) is a public high school located in Irvine, California, United States, serving grades 9–12. Woodbridge is in the Irvine Unified School District. Founded in 1980, it has an approximate enrollment of 2,400 students. T ...
. Each school is given a specific role for the CubeSat missions, such as communications, propulsion, or power. Team members for the program's inaugural mission, IRVINE01, were selected in 2016.
Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems was an American company that designed and built satellites. It started as a designer, builder and provider of nanosatellite and CubeSat space vehicle products and services for government and commercial customers. T ...
provided engineering support and served as ICSP's integration partner. The
Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency The Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA; ) is a private Ecuadorian organization founded in 2007 that conducts research on space and planetary sciences. It is a non-profit non-governmental organization with civilian oversight. EXA had tested mi ...
also provided support as well as the deployable
solar arrays A photovoltaic system, also called a PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to abs ...
, the batteries and the radiation shielding panels. ICSP's first nano-satellite, IRVINE01, was launched on November 10, 2018, on a
Rocket Lab Rocket Lab Corporation is a Public company, publicly traded aerospace manufacturer and List of launch service providers, launch service provider. Its Rocket Lab Electron, Electron orbital rocket launches Small satellite, small satellites, and ha ...
Electron The electron (, or in nuclear reactions) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary charge, elementary electric charge. It is a fundamental particle that comprises the ordinary matter that makes up the universe, along with up qua ...
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 Spaceflight Industries, Inc. is an American private aerospace company based out of Herndon, Virginia, that specializes in geospatial intelligence services. It sold its satellite rideshare business, Spaceflight, Inc., in June 2020. Spacefli ...
' rideshare mission, SSO-A Smallsat Express. 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 Jordi Puig-Suari is an aerospace technology developer and retired professor. He is the co-inventor of the CubeSat standard together with Bob Twiggs, and the co-founder of Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems. Early life and education Puig-Suari was bor ...
(co-inventor of the CubeSat standard), Commander Ronnie Nader (from the
Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency The Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA; ) is a private Ecuadorian organization founded in 2007 that conducts research on space and planetary sciences. It is a non-profit non-governmental organization with civilian oversight. EXA had tested mi ...
),
Michael Minovitch Michael Andrew Minovitch ( 1936 - 16 September 2022) was an American mathematician who developed gravity assist technique when he was a UCLA graduate student and working summers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laborat ...
(gravity assist maneuver), NASA Astronaut
Mike Massimino Michael James Massimino (born August 19, 1962) is an American professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University and a former NASA astronaut. He is the senior advisor of space programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Early life ...
, and Pamela Clark (Director of the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) in La Cañada Flintridge, California, Crescenta Valley, United States. Founded in 1936 by Cali ...
CubeSat Development Lab). The Irvine Public School Foundation (IPS

is a sponsor of ICSP, providing over $150,000 in funding annually with the support of corporate sponsors: FivePoint, Ingersoll-Rand/Trane,
Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
,
Cisco Systems Cisco Systems, Inc. (using the trademark Cisco) is an American multinational corporation, multinational digital communications technology conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, m ...
, Resilient,
Microsemi Microsemi Corporation was an Aliso Viejo, California-based provider of semiconductor and system solutions for aerospace & defense, communications, data center and industrial markets. In February 2018, it was announced that Chandler, Arizona-ba ...
, and the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundatio


Satellites


IRVINE01

IRVINE01 is an educational 1U
CubeSat A CubeSat is a class of small satellite with a form factor of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit,, url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5418c831e4b0fa4ecac1bacd/t/5f24997b6deea10cc52bb016/1596234122437/CDS+REV14+2020-07-3 ...
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. The mission features a camera, which will be used to take pictures of nearby celestial objects, as well as the first in orbital Colloid thruster, ion electrospray thruster developed by Accion Systems. Other technology aboard include deployable solar arrays and
magnetorquer A magnetorquer or magnetic torquer (also known as a torque rod) is a satellite system for Spacecraft attitude control, attitude control, detumbling, and stabilization built from electromagnetic coils. The magnetorquer creates a magnetic dipole that ...
s, both supplied by the Ecuadorian Space Agency. IRVINE01 was launched from
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 (also known as Mahia Launch Complex or Spaceport) is a commercial spaceport located close to Ahuriri Point at the southern tip of Māhia Peninsula, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is owned and o ...
on November 11, 2018, as part of an
Electron rocket Electron is a two-stage, partially reusable orbital launch vehicle developed by Rocket Lab, an American aerospace company with a wholly owned New Zealand subsidiary. Servicing the commercial small satellite launch market, it is the third most l ...
mission operated by
Rocket Lab Rocket Lab Corporation is a Public company, publicly traded aerospace manufacturer and List of launch service providers, launch service provider. Its Rocket Lab Electron, Electron orbital rocket launches Small satellite, small satellites, and ha ...
entitled It's Business Time. IRVINE01 reentered the atmosphere on February 3, 2023.


IRVINE02

ICSP's second and third CubeSats have been selected by
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
to participate in NASA's
Educational Launch of Nanosatellites Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) is an initiative created by NASA to attract and retain students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. The program is managed by the Launch Services Program (LSP) at NASA ...
(ELaNa). IRVINE02 features an Colloid thruster, ion electrospray thruster, the second of Accion Systems thrusters to reach orbit. Beyond the thruster, IRVINE02 utilizes
magnetorquer A magnetorquer or magnetic torquer (also known as a torque rod) is a satellite system for Spacecraft attitude control, attitude control, detumbling, and stabilization built from electromagnetic coils. The magnetorquer creates a magnetic dipole that ...
s, deployable solar arrays, a GPS unit, and a laser to transmit pictures and data back to Earth. It is one of the smallest CubeSats with an onboard electric propulsion system. IRVINE02 launched from
Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg may refer to: * Vandenberg (surname), including a list of people with the name * USNS ''General Hoyt S. Vandenberg'' (T-AGM-10), transport ship in the United States Navy, sank as an artificial reef in Key West, Florida * Vandenberg S ...
on December 3, 2018, as part of NASA's
ELaNa Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) is an initiative created by NASA to attract and retain students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. The program is managed by the Launch Services Program (LSP) at NASA ...
educational program aboard a
SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a Reusable launch system#Partial reusable launch systems, partially reusable, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on June 4, 2010, an ...
alongside 64 other spacecraft on the mission SSO-A: Smallsat Express.


IRVINE03

On March 2, 2018, NASA selected IRVINE03 to take part in NASA's ninth round of NASA CubeSat candidates. 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.


References

{{reflist Education in Irvine, California Satellites of the United States 2018 in spaceflight 2018 in the United States CubeSats Student satellites