Puerto Rico’s First CubeSat: Multidisciplinary Research Project to Attract STEM Students into the Area of Aerospace Systems

The purpose of this paper is to present an interdisciplinary research project using Cubesats to attract engineering students to the area of aerospace systems. CubeSats are miniature satellites designed for space science explorations. Due to their low cost and reduced size, not only have they earned an eminent position in the field of space exploration but they have also become a reliable tool for space education. This project is the first low-cost cubesat developed in Puerto Rico as a joint program between the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPRM), the Inter American University of Puerto RicoBayamon (UIPRB), the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (UPRRP), and the University of Turabo. It is financially supported by the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) and the Puerto Rico National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Grant. The main objective is to promote interdisciplinary research in the area of aerospace systems with the collaboration of graduate and undergraduate students from electrical, mechanical and computer engineering departments. The multidisciplinary process consists of the design, simulation, and construction of each subsystem of the Cubesat. Each university is responsible of building at least one subsystem. Focus is given to the Cubesats Electronic Power Supply (EPS) constructed by the UPRM. Once the project is finalized, the expected end result is a working Cubesat capable of space science exploration. Index Terms – Interdisciplinary Research, Study Program, Electrical Power Supply, CubeSat