Apply to Our Team!

Thanks for your interest in joining the Cal Poly CubeSat Lab! No experience is required to apply, the only requirement is that you are a current student at Cal Poly SLO!

Keep scrolling for a description of the work done by our different discipline teams.

We are now accepting applications for Spring 2024. The only team that is still accepting applications is Ground Station and Operations. If you are interested in any of our other teams, please check back in Fall 2024. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at polysat@calpoly.edu.

Please check out the FAQs to learn more about the application process.

 
 
 

Assembly, Integration, Test

What we do:

  • Integration and test procedure authoring

  • Thermal vacuum (TVAC) and Vibration testing

  • Assembly & integration in cleanroom

    Technologies used:

  • MATLAB, Python

  • Facilities: TVAC, cleanroom, vibration tables

Systems & Analysis

What we do:

  • Orbit simulations

  • Space environments analysis

  • Requirements development, systems engineering

    Technologies used:

  • MATLAB, Python

Ground Station & Operations

What we do:

  • Spaceflight operations

  • Ground segment maintenance

    Technologies used:

  • MATLAB, Python, linux terminal for gs ops

  • Facilities: Roof of ATL, roof of Engineering IV

  • Software defined radio

Avionics Team

What we do:

  • Integrate and test flight hardware

  • Design custom hardware solutions for Cubesat bus and payload integration

  • Design various PCBs for external aerospace projects (e.g. Propulsion Power Production Unit, Educational Satellite Simulator)

    Technologies used:

  • ECAD software such as Altium

  • Electrical test tools such as oscilloscopes, digital signal analyzers, spectrum analyzers, etc.

  • Fabrication equipment such as soldering irons, reflow ovens, solder paste, etc.

  • Embedded Linux compatible hardware

  • Microcontroller hardware

 
 
 
 

Structures & Mechanisms Team

What we do:

  • Design structures and mechanisms for CubeSats

  • Prototype with additive manufacturing

  • Manufacture structures in house

    Technologies used:

  • Solidworks for the most part

  • Additive manufacturing - 3D printers

  • Subtractive manufacturing - CNC mill

Software Team

  • What we do:

  • Write and test satellite flight software using C

  • Integrate to embedded Linux systems and microcontroller environments

  • Provide software support other projects and teams like ADCS (Attitude Determination and Control System)

  • Maintain a semi-autonomous groundstation network to communicate with satellites and gather data

    Technologies used:

  • Mostly C! some Python, database, and web development

  • Note: expected coding experience depends on college classes taken/year in school