Similar to our colleagues in Rocketry, Space Labs, and Robotics, MOVE experienced an eventful year filled with exciting challenges and accomplishments. From maintaining consistent communication with MOVE-II, completing and securing in-situ testing capabilities for our in-house developed STONCS, to successfully launching a stratospheric balloon mission and building valuable connections within the space industry – here’s a brief recap of our 2024:
MOVE-II
We are pleased to announce that our MOVE-II satellite has completed another 52 weeks of successful operation in space, marking 2024 as its sixth year in orbit. This long-term performance is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who continue to maintain and monitor the satellite’s functionality daily. To enhance this ability, our mission control team welcomed six new members, passing on knowledge to the next generation of satellite engineers and ensuring the ongoing health of MOVE-II.
STONCS
Another notable development in our program is STONCS (Student Technology on CubeSat), a PCB designed to test essential subsystems for our upcoming CubeSat MOVE-III. It will test and verify the functionality of In-House developed Sun-Sensors, an IMU, as well as our onboard software in space and provide the opportunity to iterate in the development of our operations ground segment. A partnership with OroraTech enables the opportunity to fly STONCS mounted to the side of one of their upcoming satellites. This opportunity not only expedites the development of MOVE-III but also provides valuable insight into subsystem performance, facilitating more efficient design and integration processes. We express our sincerest gratitude to OroraTech for their ongoing support and collaboration. Their commitment to fostering academic-driven research and innovation has been instrumental to the success of this venture. Once launched, STONCS will become the next WARR hardware to reach orbit, reflecting the dedication and collective effort of the entire WARR MOVE team.
MOVE-UP
In addition to STONCS, our team made significant progress with MOVE-Up, our stratospheric balloon project that reached the edge of the atmosphere. It serves the crucial role of providing a testbed for satellite components in a near-space environment as well as offering the possibility to conduct experiments in the upper atmosphere. The payload, a 2.5kg heavy “golden shoebox” called IGEL, was carried to an altitude of about 30 km before descending with the assistance of a parachute. Among other systems, we tested the performance of our new battery boards and a new COM system, paving the way for future MOVE-Up missions. After landing, the recovery posed quite a challenge: While our recovery team found the gondola in record-breaking time, they were unable to get to it because it had landed in an unusually tall tree. Thankfully, a professional tree climber helped us the following Saturday, getting the gondola down for us. It now resides safely as a trophy in the MOVE Office.
Science Communication
Our commitment to sharing knowledge extends beyond hardware development. Throughout the year, our members have conducted guest lectures at their former schools, illustrating the fundamentals of satellite engineering and inspiring students to explore scientific pursuits. We also collaborate with the BVSR and Max Born Gymnasium to assist students in launching their own stratospheric balloon. These initiatives highlight our dedication
to educational outreach, demonstrating that practical, hands-on experiences can significantly enhance student engagement in STEM fields.
Meeting the Industry
Finally, 2024 presented numerous opportunities for professional growth and networking. Seven of our team members attended a workshop hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Netherlands, where they acquired valuable insights into advanced mission design and emerging satellite technologies. In addition, our participation in the SpaceTech Expo in Bremen allowed us to establish connections with key stakeholders in the
aerospace sector. These interactions contribute to the continuous evolution of our team’s missions and expertise, ensuring that WARR MOVE remains at the forefront of CubeSat innovation.
Donations
Another highlight is the realization of our own donation platform on betterplace.org. Through this platform, we are raising funds for three test setups based on single-board computers and are delighted to have already received over €400 in donations by generous friends of MOVE.
We look forward to building on these achievements, collaborating with industry partners, and continuing our tradition of pioneering research. The accomplishments of 2024 underscore the dedication of our members and the strength of our community, bringing us ever closer to our goal of advancing scientific knowledge through successful CubeSat missions and educational outreach.