Six senior students from Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS) met with NASA representatives on Oct. 26 to present tang devices they manufactured for use on the robotic arm of a NanoRack CubeSat Deployer, which will launch four-inch-square satellites from outside the International Space Station.
The project is part of the NASA HUNCH (High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware) program, which was founded as a means of giving high school students new educational experiences by producing hardware training items for the International Space Station. The small satellites contain experiments for universities and businesses. NASA provides drawings, and the students manufacture the parts, which must meet standards within thousandths of an inch. Along with receiving the final products, NASA is provided with complete documentation including the materials and chemicals utilized to produce the devices.
“Working with NASA has raised our standards and is opening doors that we never expected,” said Everett Cupak, a senior at UBCTS. After having their work inspected and approved, the students had the opportunity to sign the locker top of the CubeSat Deployer.
“Teachers participating in this process have gone the extra mile to ensure students produce excellent, precision hardware for NASA,” said Florence Gold, NASA HUNCH implementation project manager. “I would like to recognize Upper Bucks County Technical School for their outstanding work in making exceptional tang parts for Cube Satellite Deployers. Students in Mr. Canceliere’s precision manufacturing class are contributing to and helping NASA meet its requirements and goals of space exploration.”
“We are incredibly proud of our partnership with NASA, which exemplifies the extraordinary dedication, talent, and innovation cultivated within our educational community,” said Dr. Michael Herrera, executive director, Upper Bucks County Technical School. “In a groundbreaking achievement, our students successfully manufactured tang parts tailored for the NanoRack CubeSat Deployer, a first in our nation’s history for high school students to manufacture. Their names will forever be written on the Single Stowage Locker top, serving as a testament to their unwavering commitment to advancing science and technology. Today, we enthusiastically celebrate their remarkable accomplishments as they aim for the stars and contribute to the limitless possibilities of our future.”
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