Brian Gilchrist

Maya Pandya, an Electrical Engineering senior, is a key member of the student team working to design a new generation of CubeSats that may revolutionize how we monitor space environments and provide a new method for interplanetary communication.

With new courses at the freshman, sophomore, and junior levels, Michigan ECE is training tomorrow’s engineers to be leaders in a diverse workforce in service to society.

More than 250 students had a hand in a satellite launching on January 10th, the first in space for a project to keep nanosats in orbit by harnessing Earth’s magnetic field.

When summer internships fell through, Michigan Engineering staff scrambled to make sure students would still have access to experiential learning.

For the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, U-M ECE takes a look back – and a look forward – to how our professors, students, and alums have made their mark on the field.

Mr. Bell is investigating the potential of electrodynamic tether propulsion technology to enhance the capabilities of an emerging class of smartphone-sized satellites.

The tether could be used to deorbit out-of-use spacecraft, push spacecraft from low Earth orbit into higher orbits, or even push spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit altogether.

Iverson developed an experimental facility to simulate key characteristics of the space environment.

Bell is investigating how to use an electrodynamic, propellantless propulsion concept to push against the Earth’s magnetic field in order to maneuver satellites and counteract drag.