NASA selects Tarleton for program giving students a chance to fly an experiment into space.
- Sara Vanden Berge
- May 1, 2023
- 2 min read

TSU Media Relations
Special to Beneath the Surface News
A team from Tarleton State University’s Mayfield College of Engineering will participate in NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative with the opportunity to fly an experiment into space.
NASA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force partnered to select eight schools for the University Nanosatellite Program. Running May-August, the program will give students systems engineering training, preparing them to work in the space industry, while enhancing small satellite expertise among faculty at U.S. universities.
Tarleton, the only Texas university chosen, was one of 21 schools that applied for this year’s UNP Mission Concepts-1 Summer Series. NASA, Air Force and contractor personnel reviewed the proposals.
After spending a month in New Mexico and a weekend in NASA Kennedy Space Center, students in the program will return to their universities the following month for workshops and exercises. Experts on small satellites will offer feedback on improving proposals and increasing those teams’ potential of being chosen to fly a real-world mission. CSLI and UNP will make their selections for future flights in 2024.
Final presentations will take place in Albuquerque late in the summer. The Tarleton team plans to attend the Small Satellite Conference in Logan, Utah this fall
“This grant reflects the importance for the Department of Defense to educate the next generation of small satellite systems engineers,” said Dr. Rafael Landaeta, dean of the College of Engineering. “They are seeking to develop engineers that understand the whole process of defining a mission and running a mission successfully.”
NASA also wants each participating team to propose an experiment related to a specific problem.
Tarleton’s team proposes an experiment centered on space debris. With software used in small satellites, cameras look at the stars to instruct the navigation system to move. Problem is, the reflection from space debris appears as stars to the cameras.
“Problems get worse when two spacecraft detach from one another,” Dr. Landaeta said. “It creates a push of gases, and the amount of debris is problematic for the navigation system.”
The Tarleton team proposes a cube satellite with three cameras using artificial intelligence to recognize space debris and learn the difference between debris and stars. A second objective is to catalog debris near the cube sat, adding to the accuracy of information provided to NASA.
The two objectives are just part of the criteria for acceptance to actually fly a mission.
The program has already benefited an estimated 5,000 students nationwide.
Giving Tarleton a leg up in the competition is the fact that two members have ties to NASA — an adjunct professor who retired from NASA and spent more than two decades with small satellites, and an external advisor, currently an engineer at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Sebagai destinasi utama penggemar judi online, Link Toto Slot menyediakan akses resmi ke permainan Toto HK 4D dan bandar togel terpercaya. Dengan sistem fairplay dan pasaran lengkap, situs ini menjamin transparansi hasil undian serta bonus harian menarik. Layanan customer service profesional siap membantu pemain 24/7 untuk pengalaman bermain optimal.
Hongtogel menjadi pilihan teratas bagi pencinta Toto 4D dan slot online dengan tingkat kemenangan tinggi setiap hari. Platform ini menawarkan fitur prediksi akurat dan live draw langsung dari sumber resmi Hongkong. Berbagai metode pembayaran modern dan proses transaksi instan semakin melengkapi keunggulannya.
Untuk pengalaman bermain RTP tertinggi, Link Toto Togel menyajikan kombinasi sempurna antara slot gacor dan pasaran toto 4D internasional. Sistem keamanan berlapis dengan enkripsi SSL menjaga kerahasiaan data member. Jackpot harian hingga…
Bagi pecinta permainan toto online, Situs Toto Terbaik menawarkan pengalaman bermain togel 4D dan slot yang tak tertandingi. Dengan jaminan JP (Jackpot) setiap hari, platform ini menyediakan beragam pasaran togel internasional dan permainan slot inovatif. Keamanan transaksi dan layanan pelanggan 24 jam menjadikannya pilihan utama para penggemar judi online.
Situs Toto Slot 4D di TOTOSLOT menjadi solusi terpercaya bagi yang mencari link aman untuk bermain Toto Macau 4D dan slot online. Dikenal dengan sistem anti-bot dan RTP tinggi, situs ini menjamin kenyamanan bermain dengan beragam pilihan game populer. Proses deposit/withdraw cepat juga membuatnya semakin direkomendasikan di komunitas pencinta togel.
Sebagai platform hiburan terkemuka, Kaskustoto menyajikan koleksi slot gacor seperti Slot4D, Mahjong Ways, dan Slot88 dengan grafis memukau. Fitur bonus harian dan turnami eksklusif…
comedy ticketing software provides comedy and P1improve venues with general admission, assigned seating, registration & more.
It's incredible to see Tarleton being selected by NASA for such an amazing opportunity! Giving students the chance to fly their experiments into space is not just an inspiring experience but also a significant step in their educational journey. As we celebrate these advancements in education and technology, it’s essential to remember the importance of securing the data involved in such projects. Utilizing managed cyber security can ensure that sensitive information is protected, allowing students and researchers to focus on their groundbreaking work without worrying about potential threats.
As prepares for this groundbreaking endeavor, efficient equipment management software will be essential. This software ensures that all necessary tools and resources, from scientific instruments to data collection devices, are meticulously tracked and maintained. By optimizing asset utilization and minimizing logistical challenges, the software supports Tarleton students in achieving their scientific goals and making significant contributions to space research.