The McMaster Satellite Exploration team is a group of undergraduate students that is currently designing, fabricating, and planning to launch a small satellite (CubeSat) into low earth orbit in order to study the effects of ionizing radiation on the human body. A project of this magnitude would offer a brand new learning opportunity that very few universities can provide. With support from the Department of Medical Physics & Applied Radiation Sciences, this newly developed project will give McMaster students an opportunity to enhance their academic experiences through experiential learning. The students on this team are actively participating in every step of the process, from designing, modelling and launching, and this will truly be an enriching educational experience. This project is led by Dr. Andrei Hanu, a McMaster Science undergraduate and graduate alumnus, who is currently working at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. This connection is a ground breaking link between McMaster University and NASA; the world’s foremost space agency. This will not only allow students to have access to the resources and expertise to execute this experiment but will also expose students to a science network which to date was nonexistent. The McMaster Satellite Exploration will provide students with an enhanced learning opportunity and a unique skillset that will supplement the academic fundamentals provided through their education at McMaster University.
