Created By Educators
The Wolfpack CubeSat Development Team empowers middle and high school students to Build, Launch, Utilize, and Educate through CubeSat technology. By providing emulator kits, camps, and workshops, Wolfpack engages students, teachers, and makers in hands-on STEM learning experiences that bring space exploration into the classroom.
Through a national network of instructional hubs, Wolfpack promotes project-based learning, systems thinking, and cross-disciplinary exploration. Students and educators work together to conduct authentic research, solve real-world problems, and develop critical thinking and technical skills essential for the 21st-century workforce.
ENGINEERING • PUBLIC POLICY • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Small Satellites. Big Ideas. Discover CubeSats.
WHAT IS A CUBESAT?
A CubeSat is a small deployable satellite measuring 10x10x10cm for one unit (1U), which can be combined to create larger structures. CubeSats are made for educational purposes, used by universities, research institutes, and private companies for research and sometimes commercial missions. They have a small size and a lower cost than traditional satellites, which makes it a new platform for Earth observation and also exploring outer space. Even though they are simple compared to larger satellites, CubSats have enabled scientific achievements and are on a path to be an important piece of the modern and future space sector.
The Wolfpack Team
Our Leadership Team
Kevin L. Simmons
Creator of Wolfpack / Co-Founder of AIA
Kevin L. Simmons is a professional aerospace educator, specialising in the intersection of authentic aerospace and equity in education.
Shawna L. Christenson
Co-Founder of AIA
Shawna L. Christenson is a graduate of the University of Central Florida (BS, Secondary English Education) and Florida Atlantic University (MS, Curriculum & Instruction).
The Aerospace & Innovation Academy (AIA) provides unique STEM experiences, opportunities, and after-school programs for motivated middle and high school students and educators. From camps, after-school clubs, tutoring, consulting, and classes, the AIA can help your student stand out on resumes as well as help teachers to excel in the classroom. Many of our former students have gone on to attend prestigious boarding schools out of middle school, have been accepted at high schools of their choice, and many others excel at Science Fair and numerous other competitions. Our students present at conferences, write technical papers, and advocate at our state and national level on behalf of aerospace. Your students can experience these opportunities too! Both groups meet virtually weekly to allow students from all around the country to be part of the team! AIA students will participate in trimester SPACE Clubs as the pathway to join the Wolfpack CubeSat Development Team. Students will learn to use the mathematics related to orbital mechanics, spacecraft ascent/descent, and interplanetary travel. Emphasis will be placed on identifying aerospace-themed research topics. Students will work in groups in preparation for various space settlement contests, and engage with aerospace professionals through industrial connections and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Wolfpack members have built three spacecraft (2 CubeSats and 1 hosted payload) which launched in 2018, 2022, and 2023. Wolfpack students have written accepted papers and presented at national and international conferences over 100 times since 2018.