Student-built satellite to study rare atmospheric phenomenon in space

A team of University of Calgary students is preparing to launch FrontierSat (CTS-SAT-1), the city’s first student-built satellite, in early 2026. Led primarily by undergraduates from the Schulich School of Engineering and the Faculty of Science, the CubeSat-sized satellite aims to study a rare upper atmospheric phenomenon called Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE), which is a narrow, purple light similar to the aurora borealis but less understood. FrontierSat will carry two instruments: a mini plasma imager to capture data on STEVE and a deployable composite lattice boom equipped with a camera to monitor the spacecraft and capture space imagery. The project is managed by CalgaryToSpace, a student group founded in 2020 with over 100 members involved, and is partly funded by the Canadian Space Agency along with university and student fundraising efforts. Despite technical challenges and delays in securing a launch provider, the satellite has undergone rigorous testing, including a final vibration test to simulate launch stresses