CTE Mission: CubeSat is a national challenge to build technical skills for careers in space and beyond. The U.S. Department of Education invites high schools to bring space missions to students by designing and building CubeSat prototypes — in the classroom or at home.

Learn more and ask questions on September 1

Join us for a virtual information session to hear from U.S. Department of Education Program Specialist Albert Palacios about how CubeSats can be used as a tool for education. The challenge team will also present an in-depth overview of the challenge and answer questions during a live Q&A.

More about CTE Mission: CubeSat

Space is a frontier for infinite exploration. As the boundaries of our missions in space continue to expand, so do the opportunities for today’s students to explore a wide range of related careers in space — or their own communities.

Designing and building a CubeSat prototype in this multiphase challenge will offer students a firsthand opportunity to learn valuable technical skills that can be applied to careers in space and many other industries.

Schools interested in entering CTE Mission: CubeSat should form a team and submit a mission proposal by 5:59 p.m. ET on October 16 — no in-person collaboration or prior experience with CubeSats is required. Curated educational resources are available to students and teachers online in the CTE Mission: CubeSat resource hub.

Compete for $25,000 and additional in-kind prizes

Up to five finalists will be selected to receive prizes and participate in Phase 2, which runs from January to May 2021. Finalists will have access to expert mentorship and additional virtual resources as they build CubeSat prototypes and plan flight events to launch their prototypes. The Department understands that due to current conditions, schools will need flexibility to safely collaborate when designing and building prototypes during the challenge. The Department looks forward to the creative solutions in the mission proposals it receives as challenge entries.

Each finalist will receive an equal share of the $25,000 cash prize pool as well as satellite development, hardware, and software kits. Challenge sponsors include Arduino, Blue Origin, Chevron, EnduroSat, LEGO Education, Magnitude.io, MIT Media Lab, and XinaBox.

To learn more about entering the challenge, visit ctemissioncubesat.com.

Stay connected with CTE Mission: CubeSat

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