Published: June 6, 2017
Assembling the prototype.

The shoebox-size CU Earth Escape Explorer (CU-E3) is being assembled by the University of Colorado, Boulder, Aerospace Engineering Science Graduate Projects Class.

CU-E3 is designed for a communications technology demonstration mission, slated to travel more than 2.5 million miles into space. As a Deep Space Derby entry, the diminutive spacecraft will reach an orbit of about 10 times the distance between Earth and the moon.

Aerospace professor Scott Palo, who teaches the graduate class building the CU-E3 satellite, says that the project permits students from various disciplines to work on a stimulating real-world, hands-on enterprise.  The team includes undergraduate and graduate students, as well as advisors from the local community. Team members have diverse backgrounds, including military space operations, military acquisition, and industry experience. 

Read the full story at NASA.gov