
Venture into the Unknown
audebimus in incognitum
UBC Orbit is a satellite design team from the University of British Columbia, dedicated to the innovation, design, and development of satellites. We are comprised of over 50 undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of disciplines, and provide students with an opportunity to develop the skills they need for a career in the aerospace industry.
UBC Orbit is currently involved in two country-wide efforts to improve Canada's contribution to the aerospace industry: Canadian CubeSat Project (CCP) and Canadian Satellite Design Challenge (CSDC).
The CCP is an initiative by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to enable post-secondary institutions from each province to allow their students to take part in a real space mission. Across the country, 15 teams were selected and each granted $200 000 to $250 000 to put towards the development of a CubeSat.
The design and development timeline is either two or three years, at the end of which the developed satellite will be launched. UBC Orbit is participating in the CCP in collaboration with Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria.
The CSDC is a two-year competition, in which Canadian universities compete to develop a functional CubeSat. This program is run by the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge Management Society Inc. and is sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), with the support of multiple aerospace companies.
The main purpose of the CSDC is to teach university students about the process of designing, building, and testing a satellite in a professional laboratory. Teams must follow a strict design and build timeline, and the winner of the competition is granted a launch.