Student-built satellite from University at Buffalo to be launched by NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently made a deal to send into space a satellite that has been designed and built by a group of students from the University at Buffalo. The spacecraft, named Glint Analyzing Data Observation Satellite (GLADOS), was built for two years and is designed to keep track of debris orbit and size circling the Earth.

Project leader John Crassidis, who is also a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UB, will test his theory that sparkles of sunlight reflecting off space junk can be used to determine its mass, size, shape and spin. To prove this project, the GLADOS is equipped with cameras and navigation system. The satellite can also help predict the path of space debris ahead of time, therefore avoiding any collisions.

Composed of 40 engineering students together with John Crassidis, the team got a grant worth $300,000 from the U.S Air Force to fund the GLADOS prototype.

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