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Cubes in Space™ (CIS) 2027
Quicklink: https://nescitech.org/cubes

Cubes NASA Launch

CUBES IN SPACE - For students in grades 6-10. Applications for the 2027 flight year will be accepted after the orientation sessions this November 2026. Please feel free to inquire with Bob if you are interested.

A specialized activity of NE SciTech's Space Science Club, specifically for students grades 6-10 who are members of NEST, we join a program by iEDU called Cubes in Space™ (CIS) to teach students about the atmosphere, rocketry, high-altitude balloons, general laws of physics, radio communications, satellites, and space science. Students work in teams to design and propose experiments that might be accepted to launch into a near space environment on a NASA sounding rocket or zero-pressure scientific balloon. Teams then submit their proposals, and if accepted, fabricate and fly their projects in June. After the flight they will evaluate their projects and give a report at a conference in Marlborough in August of 2027. Because wireless communications are key to remote and high-altitude projects, students will be expected to achieve an FCC Amateur Radio License (beginner level) during this program.

This program is limited to 8 students currently in grades 6-10. Students will be expected to work with others in a single team.  Attending one of the info sessions in November 2026 is required for joining the Cubes In Space team.
CIS 2023 Team at Wallops AFB

Photo: The 2023 Cubes-in-Space Team at the RocketFest science fair at Wallops AFB in Virginia. Their experiment flew on a NASA sounding rocket. The team's medical experiment was developed in collaboration with the University of Louisville. The Team presented their project at the New England HamXposition in Marlborough.

Students must maintain a NEST membership during the program. FREE for members with one-time lab fee of $95 to cover design/build supplies. 

Regular meetings are most Sundays, 1:30-3:00 PM from mid-November through late-May. For teams with projects that have been selected for spaceflight, there may be additional prep and build meetings in May and June. The rocket flies in mid-June, the balloon in late summer. We will schedule additional meetings in late summer for students to examine their flown projects when recovered from NASA. We ask that students as a team present their projects and findings at the HamXposition on the last Saturday of August.


Before taking the class, students should have had experience in physics, electronics, or Arduinos, and have an Amateur Radio Technician license or be currently enrolled in an amateur radio course during the program.

"Cubes in Space™, a program by EDU inc., is the only global competition offered at no cost for students 11-18 years of age to design and propose experiments to launch into space on a NASA sounding rocket and zero-pressure scientific balloon."

 

"Cubes in Space is offered in collaboration with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center - Wallops Flight Facility, NASA's Langley Research Center and the Science Systems and Applications Inc."
Cubes in Space Team

Photo: The 2023 Cubes Team gathered for a photo with their new souvenir T-shirts. Both the team logo and the 2023 Cubes-in-Space logo were designed by Abriana (4th from left), who won the national competition for best design. Her design flew on a NASA rocket last summer along with the team's medical experiment developed in collaboration with the University of Louisville. The Team presented their project to NASA administrators at Wallops AFB in June and to the public at the New England HamXposition in August.

2026 INFO-SESSIONS

You must attend one of these sessions for a CIS overview (allow 30 minutes):

Sun, Oct 25, 1:30 PM, sign up here

Sun, Nov 1, 1:30 PM, sign up here

Sun, Nov 8, 1:30 PM, sign up here
 
Cubes-in-Space - Register here

ALSO: Student Permissions Form

2026-2027 SATURDAY MEETINGS, 1:30-3:00 pm

Oct 25, Nov 1, Nov 8 – You must attend one required Info Session to participate.
Nov 15 – Meeting #1, Intro to NASA rocket and balloon flights.
Nov 22 – Meeting #2, Layers of the Atmosphere; Dependent/Independent Variables.
Nov 29 – optional meeting, Thanksgiving break
Dec 6 – Meeting #3, Radiation, Temperature, Pressure; Choosing a project.
Dec 13 – Meeting #4, Choose SR-9 rocket or balloon; Begin Intent to Fly Document.
Dec 20 – Meeting #5, Ozone Layer, Ionosphere; Preparing the IFF.
Dec 27 – optional meeting, Holiday weekend
Jan 3 – Meeting #6, Rocket propulsion, Newton's Laws, Atmospheric Buoyancy.
Jan 10 – Meeting #7, Electromagnetic Spectrum, affect of atmosphere.
Jan 17 – optional meeting, Winter break [Intent to Fly opens]
Jan 24 – Meeting #8, Effect of ionosphere on radio propagation. 
Jan 31 – Meeting #9, Begin App. for Spaceflight (AFS); Mission Patch Design opens.
Feb 7 – Meeting #10, Magnetosphere; Geomagnetic storms.
Feb 14 – optional meeting, Holiday weekend [Mission Patch Contest opens]
Feb 21 – optional meeting, School vacation week [Application for Spaceflight opens]
Feb 28 – Meeting #11, Work on application. 
Mar 7 – Meeting #12, Final work on application. 
Mar 14 – Meeting #13, Work on radio license
Mar 21 – Meeting #14, Work on radio license [Spaceflight Notifications]
Mar 28 – Meeting #15, Work on revisions to AFS; work on Mission Patch.
Apr 4 – Meeting #16, Cube building.

Apr 11 – Meeting #17, Cube building. Work on Mission Readiness Video. 
Apr 18 – optional meeting, Holiday weekend [Mission Readiness Video due]
Apr 25 – optional meeting, School vacation week
May 2 – Meeting #18, Final cube assembly. Begin work on HamX powerpoint.
May 9 – Meeting #19, Work on HamX powerpoint.
May 16 – Meeting #20, Final rocket prep meeting. Prep for HamXposition.

May 23 – Meeting #21, work on radio license and HamX presentations.
May 30 – optional meeting, Memorial Day holiday weekend
June 6 – Meeting #22, work on radio license and HamX presentations.
June 13 – Meeting #23, work on radio license; Prep for HamXposition.
June 20 – optional meeting, Juneteenth holiday weekend
June 25 (Thu) – SR-9 Rocket Launch from Wallops AF Base in Virginia (tentative).
June 27 – optional extra, ARRL Radio Field Day, radio activities all day.
July 4 to Aug 8 – No meetings 
Aug 15 – Meeting #24, analyze data from cube; Prep for HamXposition.
Aug 22 – Meeting #25, analyze data from cube; Prep for HamXposition.
Aug 28 – Northeast HamXposition, Youth Day. Presentations for Cubes in Space

Watch the Cubes in Space promotional video. Cubes in Space is offered by EDU inc., in collaboration with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility, NASA’s Langley Research Center, and Science Systems and Application Inc. (SSAI). (Space Act Agreement Number: SAA1-18977/SAA 18977)

 

Watch New England Sci-Tech's 2022 Cubes in Space video on YouTube.


Out of thousands of entries worldwide, under a hundred get picked to fly. A flight on a NASA rocket or high altitude balloon is not guaranteed. However, our mentors, running this program for eight years, have had a 100% success rate for projects accepted for spaceflight each year.


Students who successfully complete the program and successfully fly a project will receive an official certificate and may list their success in personal resumes, school transcripts, and college applications.

20170718_Julie3Cubes_f840.jpg

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

These dates are subject to change based on changes in the rocket flight schedule or project submission deadlines. On alternate and holiday weekend dates when the workshop does not meet, students are welcome to attend other clubs, such as rocketry, robotics, or battlin' bots, or to continue working on projects.

 

Because of traffic conditions and for your convenience, you are welcome to drop off and pick up for up to 30 minutes on each side of class time. Members may stay through the day during member open time.

 

If a class cannot meet in person because of severe weather, we may switch to online classes via Zoom.

 

*NOTE: Students must be a current member of New England Sci-Tech as a "Teen" or "Family" membership level. Having a club membership alone (radio or rocketry club) or supporting membership does not qualify a student for general NEST activities and programs like this.  Membership must run from at least November through June for participation in this program.

Please be aware of our Cancellation and Refund Policies. For questions, e-mail info@nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.


In addition to registering for this workshop, please fill out the Workshop Student Permissions Form.

16 Tech Circle, Natick, MA
508-720-4179