KSat e.V. - A Success Story
About Us
KSat e.V., the student small satellite group at the University of Stuttgart, is a non-profit club, which since its foundation in spring 2014 has grown to around 250 members. In addition to alumni, our members are, and honorary members, most of our members are students at the
University of Stuttgart from various degree programs and semesters. Our aim is to offer them the opportunity to gain hands-on experience
in space projects alongside their studies. In doing so, they can apply the knowledge they have acquired during their studies, put it into practice and acquire interdisciplinary knowledge and skills.
Above all, we want to inspire others with the fascination of space engineering and science. At the same time, we create a platform for exchange between students, industry and research institutions.
In addition to our numerous projects, we regularly organize events to promote regular exchange between members. They include joint events, lectures and visits to conferences and trade fairs.
Our History
The Foundation of KSat
In April 2014, KSat Stuttgart e.V. was founded by nine students as the first and only small satellite group at the University of Stuttgart.
MIRKA2-RX
Successful launch of the first REXUS experiment MIRKA2-RX on a sounding rocket from the Esrange Space Center in Sweden.
MIRKA2-ICV
Conducting the MIRKA2-ICV experiment in South Africa, in which the communication capability of the MIRKA2 capsule was tested during flight.
ROACH
Participation in the REXUS program with the ROACH experiment on the REXUS 24 rocket. However, due to a non-nominal flight, the experiments could not be carried out as planned.
PAPELL
Launch of the PAPELL experiment to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the German Aerospace Center's (DLR) "high-flyer" competition.
Evaluation of PAPELL
Return of the PAPELL experiment to Earth and the beginning of the analysis of the data obtained.
SOURCE
Participation in the selection workshop of the ESA program “Fly Your Satellite!” with the CubeSat project SOURCE.
MICU
Winner of the second place in the first phase of the NASA challenge “Honey, I Shrunk the NASA Payload” with the MICU (Mineral Investigation Camera using Ultra-violet) sensor.
SOURCE - CDR passed
Completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) for the SOURCE project, enabling the transition to the integration phase.
FARGO
The project FARGO (Ferrofluid Application Research Goes Orbital) began with the successful application to the "high-flyer 2" selection workshop of the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
FerrAS
The development of KSat's third ferrofluid project FerrAS (Ferrofluid Application Study) begins with the completion of the selection workshop. As the successor to PAPELL and a parallel project to FARGO, FerrAS is sent into weightlessness on a REXUS rocket.
Preparation of a BUBBLE Launch
Successful launch of the BUBBLE 2 experiment, a high-altitude balloon project for conducting scientific experiments in the stratosphere.
FARGO Launch
After intensive development work, FARGO was finally launched on a Falcon 9 rocket (CRS-27) from the Cape Canaveral spaceport to the International Space Station (ISS). It was operated there for around four weeks before returning to Earth.
FINIX
The FINIX project continues KSat's series of ferrofluid experiments on board REXUS 33/34. The planned launch is in March 2025.
FerrAS Launch
After a one-year delay due to COVID-19, the time had finally come: FerrAS was launched on board the REXUS 31 from Esrange in Kiruna, Sweden. With an altitude of 76 km reached and a successful course of the experiments, the project was a complete success.
PARSEC
An advancement of the BUBBLE experiment seriess. With PARSEC the controlled landing of the stratospheric experiments shall be demonstrated.
ATHENE
ATHENE (Autonomous Terrain Handling and Environmental Navigation Experiment) is our association's first rover. The project is primarily designed to promote young talent and enables us to create a platform for future, competitive rovers.
SOURCE Launch
Planned launch of the CubeSat SOURCE into Earth orbit.