Most satellites fall back down to earth and burn in the atmosphere due to air drag. The problem is that these satellites are standardized in volume and cubic shape, because of launching requirements. This cubic shape is also the attribute contributing to the air drag. Team Tardigrade is determined to design a post-deployment mechanism to improve the aerodynamics of micro satellites. With better aerodynamics the air drag is reduced, and satellite lifetime increased.
Sponsor: Aurora Propulsion Technologies