SwissCube: A Swiss Satellite Adventure

This lecture follows the three-year journey of building the first Swiss satellite, SwissCube, focusing on promoting space applications, conducting doctoral and master's level research, industry collaboration, and developing new space-related courses. The satellite's scientific mission involves capturing photos of a phenomenon called 'herglot' in the upper atmosphere, which is the luminescence of oxygen molecules. The development process transformed a paper satellite into a fully functional one, requiring miniaturization of all subsystems due to its small size. Rigorous testing phases included thermal verification, environmental testing in the rocket, intense vibrations, and antenna deployment verification. The successful beacon reception marked a significant milestone in the project.