Knights Air Observation Satellite (KAOS)

KAOS-1 (Knights Air Observation Satellite 1) was a 4U (20x20x10cm) CubeSat utilizing a wooden housing, marking the first of its kind at UCF. The satellite used roughly 6 sensors to gather atmospheric data along with 2 cameras to document the process. KAOS-1 performed its mission utilizing a weather balloon which took the CubeSat to about 100,000 feet in addition to a 6ft parachute for recovery.

The second mission in the KAOS program, KAOS-1 improved significantly on the lessons learned from KAOS-0 (which suffered a catastrophic failure during a rocket launch in August 2022). KAOS-1 featured a custom PCB holder with a sled mechanism and fully designed 3D CAD assemblies with a sponsor panel.

This project involved numerous interdisciplinary skills and hands-on learning experience with Material Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Radio/Communications.