Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval called University of Cincinnati students “history-makers” on April 16 after the CubeCats team successfully launched their compact satellite, LEOPARDSat-1, into orbit aboard a SpaceX mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The satellite was built almost entirely at the UC Ground Floor Makerspace inside the university’s 1819 Innovation Hub.
The accomplishment marks a significant milestone for both the university and Ohio, as it is the first student-led satellite to launch in UC’s history and in the state. The mayor said in a recorded message, “I just wanted to say congratulations, a huge congratulations, to the CubeCats. We are so incredibly proud of you. You are history-makers, not just the first student-led satellite to launch in UC’s history, but also the state of Ohio’s history.”
The journey was not without challenges. Originally scheduled for April 8, weather delays pushed back the launch several times. Some students had to leave Florida before liftoff due to housing constraints and funding issues. Despite these setbacks, team members supported each other throughout an emotional week marked by uncertainty and logistical difficulties.
Sam Kohls, CubeCats’ satellite program director, said: “Every time something fell through, someone on the team would find a way to push us forward.” Nathan Nguyen, president of CubeCats added: “We are touching the realms of impossibility and pushing that boundary as far as possible… If you told me five years ago that we’d actually send something into space and put our ‘own star into the night sky,’ that’s not something that I would have imagined that I would be ever doing.”
Students who could not attend in person joined watch parties at UC’s Innovation Hub or streamed live footage from Florida so everyone could witness LEOPARDSat-1 leaving Earth together. The moment was described by Mike Carovillano as one where “almost a full decade of work blasts into space and makes history.” Relief and pride swept through both teams in Florida and Cincinnati as they celebrated this achievement.
LEOPARDSat-1 will now begin collecting data from its position aboard the International Space Station to evaluate how lightweight carbon-based composites can help shield astronauts from space radiation.
