CubeSat NB

Samiha Lubaba, Noah Lydon, Joudi Al-Lathqani, Brent Petersen, Dhyan Baruah and Quynh Nguyen, at the Canadian Space Agency with VIOLET, November 27, 2023. Image credit: Canadian Space Agency

New Brunswick’s first CubeSat

CubeSat NB is a first-of-its-kind partnership among the New Brunswick Community College, the Université de Moncton and the University of New Brunswick. Our goal is to educate students as we design, build and test New Brunswick's first cube satellite, a CubeSat. Our CubeSat is named VIOLET, after the purple violet, New Brunswick's flower. CubeSat NB plans to have VIOLET deployed from the International Space Station in 2024.

What is a CubeSat?

CubeSats are miniature satellites that are revolutionizing access to space. These faster, smarter and cheaper satellites provide a platform for low-cost technology development and scientific research (source: Canadian Space Agency). VIOLET will be a 2U CubeSat, less than 3.6 kg, about the size of a loaf of bread, 20 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm.

CubeSat NB will provide new insights into the behaviour of Earth’s atmosphere.

Why create CubeSat NB?

Building and operating CubeSat NB will:

• engage a large number of engineering, science and technology students in New Brunswick,
• advance student understanding of the technology, construction and operation of satellites, and
• contribute to the pool of New Brunswick talent in the aerospace industry.