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HomeWorkshop: Cubes in Space™

Cubes in Space™ (CIS) 2026
(Quicklink: https://nescitech.org/cubes)

Cubes NASA Launch

LATEST NEWS: The 2025 student project has been accepted for space flight. Launch date will be June 26.

CUBES IN SPACE - Applications for the 2026 flight year will be accepted after the orientation sessions this November 2025. Please feel free to inquire with Bob if you are interested.

A specialized activity of NE SciTech's Space Science Club, specifically for students ages 11-17 who are members of NEST, we join a program by iEDU called Cubes in Space™ (CIS) to teach students about the atmosphere, rocketry, high-altitude balloons, general laws of physics, radio communications, satellites, and space science. Students work in teams to design and propose experiments that might be accepted to launch into a near space environment on a NASA sounding rocket or zero-pressure scientific balloon. Teams then submit their proposals, and if accepted, fabricate and fly their projects in June. After the flight they will evaluate their projects and give a report at a conference in Marlborough in August. Students will be expected to achieve an FCC Amateur Radio License (beginner level) during this program.

This program is limited to 10 students. Students will be expected to work with others in teams.  Attending one of the info sessions is required for joining the Cubes In Space team.
CIS 2023 Team at Wallops AFB

Photo: The 2023 Cubes-in-Space Team at the RocketFest science fair at Wallops AFB in Virginia. Their experiment flew on a NASA sounding rocket. The team's medical experiment was developed in collaboration with the University of Louisville. The Team presented their project at the New England HamXposition in Marlborough.

Students must maintain a NEST membership during the program in order to take the workshop for FREE ($600 value) with a one-time, non-refundable lab fee of $125.

Regular meetings are most Saturdays, 9:30-11:00 AM from mid-November through mid-May. For teams with projects that have been selected for spaceflight, there may be additional prep and build meetings in May and June. The rocket flies in mid-June, the balloon in late summer. We will schedule additional meetings in late summer for students to examine their flown projects when recovered from NASA. We ask that students as a team present their projects and findings at the HamXposition on the last Saturday of August.


Before taking the class, students should have had experience in physics, electronics, or Arduinos, and have an Amateur Radio Technician license or be currently enrolled in an amateur radio course during the program.

"Cubes in Space™, a program by EDU inc., is the only global competition offered at no cost for students 11-18 years of age to design and propose experiments to launch into space on a NASA sounding rocket and zero-pressure scientific balloon."

 

"Cubes in Space is offered in collaboration with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center - Wallops Flight Facility, NASA's Langley Research Center and the Science Systems and Applications Inc."
Cubes in Space Team

Photo: The 2023 Cubes Team gathered for a photo with their new souvenir T-shirts. Both the team logo and the 2023 Cubes-in-Space logo were designed by Abriana (4th from left), who won the national competition for best design. Her design flew on a NASA rocket last summer along with the team's medical experiment developed in collaboration with the University of Louisville. The Team presented their project to NASA administrators at Wallops AFB in June and to the public at the New England HamXposition in August.

2025-26 INFO-SESSIONS

You must attend one of these sessions for a CIS overview (allow 30 minutes):

Saturday, Oct 25, 10:00 AM, sign up here

Saturday, Nov 1, 10:00 AM, sign up here

Saturday, Nov 8, 10:00 AM, sign up here
 
Cubes-in-Space - Register here

ALSO: Student Permissions Form

2025-26 SATURDAY MEETINGS, 9:30-11:00 am (tentative)

Oct 25, Nov 1, Nov 8 – You must attend one required Info Session to participate.
Nov 15 – Meeting #1, Intro to NASA rocket and balloon flights.
Nov 22 – Meeting #2, Layers of the Atmosphere; Dependent/Independent Variables.
Nov 29 – no meeting, Thanksgiving break
Dec 6 – Meeting #3, Radiation, Temperature, Pressure; Choosing a project.
Dec 13 – Meeting #4, Choose SR-9 rocket or balloon; Begin Intent to Fly Document.
Dec 20 – Meeting #5, Ozone Layer, Ionosphere; Preparing the IFF.
Dec 27 – no meeting, Holiday weekend
Jan 3 – Meeting #6, Rocket propulsion, Newton's Laws, Atmospheric Buoyancy.
Jan 10 – Meeting #7, Electromagnetic Spectrum, affect of atmosphere.
Jan 17 – no meeting, Winter break [Intent to Fly opens]
Jan 24 – Meeting #8, Effect of ionosphere on radio propagation. 
Jan 31 – Meeting #9, Begin App. for Spaceflight (AFS); Mission Patch Design opens.
Feb 7 – Meeting #10, Magnetosphere; Geomagnetic storms.
Feb 14 – no meeting, Holiday weekend [Mission Patch Contest opens]
Feb 21 – no meeting, School vacation week [Application for Spaceflight opens]
Feb 28 – Meeting #11, Work on application. 
Mar 7 – Meeting #12, Final work on application. 
Mar 14 – Meeting #13, Work on radio license
Mar 21 – Meeting #14, Work on radio license [Spaceflight Notifications]
Mar 28 – Meeting #15, Work on revisions to AFS; work on Mission Patch.
Apr 4 – Meeting #16, Cube building.

Apr 11 – Meeting #17, Cube building. Work on Mission Readiness Video. 
Apr 18 – no meeting, Holiday weekend [Mission Readiness Video due]
Apr 25 – no meeting, School vacation week
May 2 – Meeting #18, Final cube assembly. Begin work on HamX powerpoint.
May 9 – Meeting #19, Work on HamX powerpoint.
May 16 – Meeting #20, Final required meeting. Prep for HamXposition.

May 23 – no meeting, Holiday weekend
May 30 – Optional #21, work on radio license and HamX presentations.
June 6 – Optional #22, work on radio license and HamX presentations.
June 13 – Optional #23, work on radio license and HamX presentations.
June 20 – no meeting, Juneteenth holiday weekend
June 25 (Thu) – SR-9 Rocket Launch from Wallops AF Base in Virginia (tentative).
June 27 – Optional #24, ARRL Radio Field Day, radio activities all day.
July 4 to Aug 15 – No meetings
Aug 22 – Optional #25, Prep for HamXposition.
Aug 29 – Northeast HamXposition, Youth Day. Presentations for Cubes in Space

Watch the Cubes in Space promotional video. Cubes in Space is offered by EDU inc., in collaboration with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility, NASA’s Langley Research Center, and Science Systems and Application Inc. (SSAI). (Space Act Agreement Number: SAA1-18977/SAA 18977)

 

Watch New England Sci-Tech's 2022 Cubes in Space video on YouTube.


Out of thousands of entries worldwide, under a hundred get picked to fly. A flight on a NASA rocket or high altitude balloon is not guaranteed. However, our mentors, running this program for the past eight years, have had a 100% success rate for projects accepted for spaceflight each year.


Students who successfully complete the program and successfully fly a project will receive an official certificate and may list their success in personal resumes, school transcripts, and college applications.

20170718_Julie3Cubes_f840.jpg

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

These dates are subject to change based on changes in the rocket flight schedule or project submission deadlines. On alternate and holiday weekend dates when the workshop does not meet, students are welcome to attend other clubs, such as rocketry, robotics, or battlin' bots, or to continue working on projects.

 

Because of traffic conditions and for your convenience, you are welcome to drop off and pick up for up to 30 minutes on each side of class time. Members may stay through the day during member open time.

 

If a class cannot meet in person because of severe weather, we may switch to online classes via Zoom.

 

*NOTE: Students must be a current member of New England Sci-Tech as a "Teen" or "Family" membership level. Having a club membership alone (radio or rocketry club) or supporting membership does not qualify a student for general NEST activities and programs like this.  Membership must run from at least November through May for class participation.

Please be aware of our Cancellation and Refund Policies. For questions, e-mail info@nescitech.org or call 508-720-4179.


In addition to registering for this workshop, please fill out the Workshop Student Permissions Form.