Cal Poly’s 13th CubeSat Mission successfully launched into space from Vandenberg Space Force Base last month, according to a Cal Poly press release. PolySat Lab is a student-run, multidisciplinary research lab whose work includes launching miniature satellites into space.
“When we got back to the lab and were able to establish communication, that was an exciting moment for everybody because it was just validating all the hard work we had put in,” Maxwell Webb, a mechanical engineering sophomore, said.
Not many college students can say their projects have been released into space, and even fewer can say they have collaborated with NASA. At Cal Poly’s PolySat Lab, students have the opportunity to hone their skills in research and space exploration.
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“Everyone in the lab was working on this project,” Webb said. “People were putting in long hours, especially in the summer and school year. It was a really great atmosphere to be a part of.”
Webb joined the team during his freshman year after first touring the engineering department during his junior year of high school.
“The lab manager at the time came out and gave the tour group an explanation which immediately got me interested when we came back,” said Webb
As part of the Structure and Mechanisms team, Webb involved himself in the design and structure aspects of the satellite. He worked with a crew of 16 others on manufacturing, structural analysis and practical design ahead of the latest CubeSat mission to ensure everything went smoothly for launch.
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The satellite launched around 4 a.m. on March 30 and now is in orbit, according to the press release. The CubeSat Lab students are consistently monitoring the satellite from the ground station.
Third-year aerospace engineering student, Kayla Wong, is one of the project co-leads for this year’s mission, known as SAL-E. Wong first stepped into the aeronautics role after being a part of PolySat last year.
As one of the operation’s co-leads, Wong is assigned to oversee communication involving sending the satellite commands, receiving data developed through the software team and tracking SAL-E.
“I’m not sure if I can properly describe how large of a collaborative effort this mission was as it was filled with many, many obstacles and problem solving,” Wong said. “I am very grateful to have worked with such a dedicated team that made it a lot easier to deliver a successful satellite.”
In the morning of the launch students, faculty and parents gathered as the sun broke the horizon and final preparations were made.
SAL-E represents the collective work of alumni and students within the timeframe of months beginning Summer 2025. The work is never-ending for students at Cal Poly’s PolySat Lab and for a generation of engineers who have learned that this mission is only the beginning of more.