Outreach Activities
Since its inception, the Small Satellite Design Club has promoted space systems engineering across campus and beyond. SSDC is motivated to establish a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) space outreach program utilizing small satellites as an educational tool. Our members are seeking eager K-20 students and educators who are interested in learning about our activities through outreach events, laboratory tours, talks and involvement in several exciting collaborative projects such as our small satellite missions, amateur radio experiments, atmospheric balloon launches, and microgravity experiments. This effort is seeking funding sources to support these activities. The educational aspect is known as GLIMPSEE which stands for Grasping Lives of Innovative Minds through Programmatic Space Education and Engagement. GLIMPSEE is seeking partnership and collaboration. Please contact Neha Sharma or our President with any questions. SSDC has been creating awareness by showcasing our exhibits at various events for several years (i.e., Engineering Fairs, Starry Night, and campus events) to inform the local community and campus about our exciting accomplishments and challenges as well as our rewarding experiences.
Here are a few of the events that we have participated in:
* CubeSat Appreciation Day
* UF's Engineering and Science Fair
* Starry Night
* UF's Student Organizational Fairs
* Florida Space Academies at the Kennedy Space Center
* UF's Homecoming Parade
* Talks at local middle schools (such as Howard Bishop and PK Yonge)
* Small Satellite Seminar Series
* CubeSat Developers Workshop
* International Space Developers Conference 2009
* High School Mentoring
* Small Satellite Conference
* RASCAL Design Competition 2010 - Poster and Presentation
A gallery of our photos is compiled here.
In Fall 2005 when the SSDC was just forming and three founders decided to inform campus of the CubeSat program and how the University of Florida would one day offer to train highly motivated students to design, build, test, and operate small satellite missions. The first ever organizational fair displays the co-founders of the SSDC.
In Feb 2008, a joint small satellite and amateur radio exhibit earned the team an award for Creativity and Innovation for incorporating the Best Theme (Stepping into the Future) April 18 2008, the 1st CubeSat Appreciation Day was hosted by the Space Systems Group, Small Satellite Design Club, and the Gator Amateur Radio Club.
On February 18th 2009, the University of Florida hosted the 64th Annual Engineering and Science Fair at the Reitz Union. Booths were set up by different student organizations to show the visitors what their exhibits were. The Small Satellite Design Club also set up a booth to interact and to demonstrate what our club did.
In order to have the visiting students to get the hands on experience, the SSDC decided to have a design competition for them. The competition consisted of making a replica satellite out of Knex toys with a mission objective. The SSDC promised that the winner of this design competition will be awarded a pizza party at a pre-arranged time and place when both parties are available. Thirty-four middle school students joined this competition. Once their satellite replicas was built, we photographed their designs. After the competition, the SSDC members came up with different criteria that the satellites were going to be graded on. Those criteria included, creativity, mission idea, and originality. The SSDC members would like to thank all of the participants that competed in this design competition! It was very difficult to decide the winner for this competition since all of the satellites were excellent. SSDC assisted the UF AIAA Chapter during their Aerospace Appreciation Day. An accelerated group of students from Sanford, FL participated in the day's activities. One of the students created this video (click here) to convey the day's atmosphere and appreciation.On April 17,2009, The 2nd CubeSat Appreciation Day and also the a department-wide lab tours for the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering During the Department Awards Banquet, Fred Leve (our representative) received an award on for the best lab tour in the department.
On May 30 2009, SwampSat made a surprise appearance at the 28th International Space Development Conference in Orlando, FL. Thank you to Space Florida for allowing us to join their exhibit for the day. Several conference attendees had not seen a CubeSat before and were quite impressed with SwampSat engineering development unit.
On September 25 2009, the Florida Museum of Natural History celebrated the International Year of Astronomy with Starry Night. SSDC hosted an exhibit to inform the 2000+ public crowd of their exciting projects and accomplishments.
