McMaster Interdisciplinary Satellite Team

The McMaster Interdisciplinary Satellite Team (MIST) is a dedicated group of researchers, professors, and aspiring engineering and science students. Our primary objective is to design, fabricate, and launch small satellites into low Earth orbit to investigate the effects of ionizing radiation on the human body and our planet. Supported by the Canadian Space Agency through the Canadian CubeSat Project (CCP) and CubeSats Initiative in Canada for STEM (CUBICS), MIST is led by Drs. Andrei Hanu, Soo Hyun Byun, and Eric Johnston. With backing from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, we offer McMaster students a unique opportunity to enrich their academic experience through hands-on learning. Our previous accomplishment includes the NEUtron DOSimetry & Exploration (NEUDOSE) mission, a 2U CubeSat developed over the course of 7 years and launched into low Earth orbit in March 2023. The NEUDOSE mission marked a significant milestone in space exploration at McMaster and is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary collaboration. NEUDOSE not only contributed knowledge and training to advance space exploration but also stands as a symbol of McMaster University's commitment to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and fostering interdisciplinary innovation across all academic levels. Currently, we're focused on the development of Pitch REsolving Spectroscopy for Electron Transport (PRESET) mission, an innovative CubeSat aiming to study electron behavior within the Van Allen Belts and its impact on Earth's protective atmosphere. Targeting a launch in late 2025 or early 2026, strategically timed to coincide with a solar maximum, PRESET aims to capture the peak of solar activity and electron flux. Stay tuned for captivating updates on the PRESET mission as we prepare for this extraordinary venture.