Alpha CubeSat: Student-Led Space Exploration

A Project by Alpha CubeSat

On behalf of all the Space Systems Design Studio flight project teams (Alpha CubeSat, Sailing to the Stars, DeSCENT), thank you so so much for your donation! Your support brings us one step closer to the launch pad. Specifically, funding from this crowdfunding campaign will go towards the cost of mission operations for our CubeSat, and some flight rehearsals for our ChipSats with High-Altitude Balloons. For the DeSCENT mission, machining of the deployer and prototyping of the ChipSat is full steam ahead. Your donations support hardware costs for stock metal, circuit boards and components, as well as microsoldering, thermal-vacuum, and RF testing equipment for the students. Any remaining funding will go towards travel so that students can present their work at spacecraft conferences!

Admittedly, we haven’t got everything right on the first try. These projects are an extremely valuable educational opportunity for nearly 30 students this semester (over 100 students total since the projects started!), and that means learning by doing, and by learning from our mistakes. We only get one shot at launching these projects into space, and we want to be 100% certain it’s going to work!

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$10

100 CubeSat Radio Credits

Help us communicate with our satellite! Each message from our CubeSat costs 2 credits. $10 will fund a day's worth of data from space!

$25

3D Printer Filament

Your donation will enable us to prototype multiple ChipSat deployers for our upcoming missions!

$50

Circuit Boards

Your donation will allow us to prototype student-designed PCBs for both our ChipSat and High-Altitude Balloon projects! Students will solder, test, and iterate on these designs as we bring our projects to life!

$100

ChipSat Picoballoon Flight

Your donation enables us to launch one ChipSat in a small balloon that (if conditions are right) could circumnavigate the globe! Such flights allow us to test our compatibility with more ground stations, while gathering the support of listeners around the world to collect data from our light sail when it's in orbit!

$150

ChipSat Ground Station

Your donation will fund a low-cost ground station setup for student teams to track our light sail and collect data from our ChipSats!

$250

Thermal-Vacuum Test

Your donation will cover the cost of a thermal cycle in vacuum to simulate the temperature fluctuations during our suborbital launch! This shall be one of the final testing milestones to ensure our ChipSats can deploy successfully.

$500

Conference Participation

Your donation will allow a student to present our cutting-edge technology and mission results at a high-visibility spacecraft conference this summer! This will cover airfare, lodging, and conference fees and will be an excellent networking opportunity for our students as they embark on their aerospace careers!

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FAQ

Is my contribution tax-deductible?

Yes! All gifts received through this platform are considered donations to Cornell University and are thus tax-deductible. Donors will receive a tax receipt following gift processing.

Who should I contact with questions about my contribution?

Email cfund@cornell.edu