design, development, and testing of satellite subsystems, while advancing our goals towards systems that can be deployed in space. As part of our initial stages of this work, we benchtop-tested low-power mesh network hardware with the capacity to be part of a high-altitude launch system. Beginning in 2022, the development effort focused on two flight experiments to test our systems at altitude using high-altitude balloons. The goal of HiSAT One was to test our ability to launch, track, and recover a high-altitude balloon system. This successful mission was followed by the HiSAT Two flight experiment, which sent two high-altitude balloons to an altitude of approximately 100,000 feet to test balloon-to-balloon and balloon-to-ground communications and networking systems. The success of these experiments led us to develop further and improve our radio communications systems, focusing our efforts on creating more stable radio subsystems and increasing the radio bandwidth of these systems. Over the past year, our team has assembled and deployed a mobile satellite ground communications station. This system includes ground-based radios, directional antennae, and motorized systems to permit tracking and bi-directional communication with passing LEO and spacecraft, including the International Space Station. Given the work to date, we believe the next step for our development effort is to test our ability to launch, track, and communicate with a JMU DukeSAT satellite in LEO. To accomplish this, we have developed a working relationship with Interorbital Systems. Interorbital Systems (IOS) is a rocket, satellite, and spacecraft manufacturing company and launch-service provider founded in 1996. IOS has facilities at the Mojave Air and Spaceport, which include a 6,000-sq ft manufacturing and engineering building and two rocket engine test sites. The company has developed two different orbital launch vehicles with the capacity to launch small satellites into LEO. As part of this relationship, and as part of a discount from their regular launch cost, IOS is offering us the opportunity to put a JMU DukeSAT satellite into LEO for $22,000. The JMU DukeSAT team involves faculty and students from multiple academic units, and the opportunity for JMU students to be part of a developing and deploying space hardware is truly unique, with experiences extending well beyond those they will gain through their other academic endeavors. As a JMU-centered venture, this effort continues to provide JMU students with an opportunity to engage in the growing commercial space industry, offering an exciting opportunity for JMU to bring an element of this industry to the Shenandoah Valley and the Virginia community as a part of our institutional service to the Commonwealth.
Benefit to JMU
The JMU DukeSAT development program represents an exciting business prospect, grounded in providing JMU students an opportunity to explore and learn disciplines required to design, develop, test, and launch small satellites into low Earth orbit. Students engaged in this effort will gain knowledge from disciplines such as electronic communications, wireless networking, microcomputing and microcontroller systems,
Madison Trust 2026 Project Proposal
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