Combination of Interdisciplinary Training in Space Technology with Project-Related Work through the CubeSat SOURCE

In April 2018, student work on the first satellite mission primarily dedicated to education at the IRS, SOURCE (Stuttgart Operated University Research CubeSat for Evaluation and Education) began. The phase A study resulted in a three-unit CubeSat design and a cooperation with a variety of industrial partners. Besides its educational purpose, the mission features technological and scientific objectives, the latter of which concentrate on the field of re-entry research. With the current status of the project, a large number of students have been introduced to and trained in all aspects of a satellite mission, like management, project sequences, concurrent engineering, space industry standards, and the application of specialized technical knowledge. This paper gives an overview of the CubeSat SOURCE and its educational approaches.