ОрбиКрафт 3D

Aerospace vehicle engineering is a complex field requiring intellectual input from multiple specialists: scientists, designers, radio engineers, process engineers, programmers, electronics developers and experts from many other vocations. The space industry is always at the forefront of new technologies, setting an exceptional bar on the skill level of tomorrow’s experts in this industry. In developed economies, training relies on so-called project approach whereby a university or even a secondary school enables their students – supervised by experts in the field – to design miniature satellites between 1 and 3 kg in weight for educational purposes. These satellites, known as CubeSats, are a globally accepted standard for very small-scale educational satellites. With government funding they are then launched into the space together with other, “professional” satellites – either in the traditional manner using a rocket, or by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

We share the belief that training of tomorrow’s engineers should start from the school by actively involving them in hands-on experience with hardware that lets them know how real-world satellites operate. To that end we have come forward with a tool – the Orbicraft construction set. This is a real DIY kit for assembling functional models of space satellites. The set has all the components that will let kids understand spacecraft design, assembly, testing and operation processes systemically in an instructive manner, ultimately enabling them to come up with a simple yet their own “orbiter” that they will design, test, launch and operate in “space” (on a dedicated laboratory setup).

Such training should bear the fruit of knowledge and skills that will prepare kids for sensible future involvement in the design and launch of real small-scale spacecraft. Skills gained with electronics and programming will also let students apply their talent to neighboring engineering fields such as robotics, UAVs etc.