Fly Your Satellite! (FYS) is an educational programme whose main, but not only, focus is the verification campaign of CubeSats built by university students – a phase with high learning value for the students . The programme was kicked off with the help of six CubeSat teams selected in June 2013. The programme aims at offering students the opportunity to benefit from the transfer of technical competence and experience from ESA specialists. In addition, by teaching best practices for spacecraft design, development and verification, the programme aims at increasing the CubeSats’ chances for mission success.
The FYS programme is structured in four phases, from the integration of the CubeSat Flight Model up to the operation of the satellite in space. During each phase, the CubeSats have to undergo expert reviews that need to be passed in order for the student teams to gain access to the following phase.
== Build Your Satellite! In this phase, the student teams complete the integration of their satellite and execute the necessary functional tests in laboratory conditions;
== Test Your Satellite! In this phase, the students execute environmental tests, exposing their satellite to vibration, vacuum and temperature conditions representative of what will be experienced during the actual mission in space;
== Ticket to Orbit! In this phase, the students prepare their satellite to be launched, undergo the Launch acceptance review, and run the campaign of integration of their satellite into the launcher;
== CubeSats in Space! In this phase the student teams finally see their satellite launched into space and perform satellite operations to accomplish their space mission.
Only the student teams that demonstrate the good functionality of their satellite both in ambient and space representative conditions, and that demonstrate compliance with all applicable requirements, can access the fourth phase of the programme.
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