Dakota collaborate on first spacecraft

functional spacecraft for only a few thousand dollars, instead of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the program’s mission statement.

The ultimate goal is to create two completely functional spacecrafts that will serve as backups for each other. This provides the group with the potential of swapping out parts from the other for use in the satellite that will be provided to NASA to launch later this year, Straub says. The other satellite also will be launched, but at a later date. Students collaborate via inperson meetings as well as by phone, text message, email and video chat. “It provides an experience with a bigger group of coworkers,” says Bradley Biorn, an undergraduate student at UND and program spokesman. “This helps us to learn how to communicate effectively and work with large groups without having coordination-related errors.”

KAYLA PRASEK Staff Writer, Prairie Business 701.780.1187 kprasek@prairiebusinessmagazine.com