Sun Devil Satellite Laboratory (SDSL)

About

The Sun Devil Satellite Laboratory is a Fulton Student Organization that applies a fascination with the universe, spacecraft, and the engineering profession to foster the academic experience at ASU in aiming to pursue the design and development of satellite and satellite-related technology.

Through projects like the annual Lunabotics challenge, members are engaged in the design, build, and testing process along with gaining an understanding of adhering to a budget and a schedule, and developing design reviews that demonstrate the applications made throughout the project’s development.

Several great missions come about through the rise of a great idea and the desire to bring it to life. However, these projects cannot be pursued without developing the rationale and need behind them, which is why SDSL allows students to combine the elements of engineering with drafting and submitting proposals for long-term projects, such as our Pulsed Plasma Thruster (PPT) Thus, while much of SDSL is centered around hands-on engineering design, SDSL caters to every aspect of the engineering profession and mission development. We are also pleased to continue ASCEND, Coconut, PPT, and SquidSat this year, where new members work in multidisciplinary teams to develop satellite technology.

Under the guidance of the Fulton Schools of Engineering and the School of Earth and Space Exploration, we help provide an educational environment but we also implement industry practices to advance the real-world experience of students. SDSL’s goals may be ambitious, but we always remember to maintain a fun environment for students to meet fellow students sharing the same passion while preparing for their future.

With the organization’s newest addition of the SquidSat project, the most wonderful thing about SDSL is that it draws from the unique and innovative minds of not only engineers, but of designers, scientists, and communicators. All of these individuals are those who help to make the space industry so intriguing and who make SDSL a welcoming group to call oneself a part of.

SDSL has collaborated with industry, including Altium, Orbital ATK, Northrop, and Lockheed Martin, and actively participates in outreach activities at ASU.

Accomplishment

Launched a high-altitude weather balloon payload every semester in this period
Developing a 1U CubeSat, named Coconut, with the expected launch date of April 2026

Industry Partners