SpaceX launches picosatellite built by Kazakh high school students
A satellite created by students from the Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Astana lifted off Oct. 1, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Tatler Kazakhstan reported. It is hard to resist the urge to ask the famous question: «How do you like that, Elon Musk?»
The students worked on the project largely on their own, handling everything from blueprints and prototypes to testing and launch preparations. A total of 17 students participated in the development, working on 3D modeling, electronics, microcontroller programming and data processing. The project began in 2019. In 2020, the school opened the «NIS Space» laboratory and launched a course called «Space Technology Electronics.» In 2022, the satellite underwent thermal-vacuum and mechanical testing at the National Space Center.
From classroom to orbit
The satellite launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It is a PocketQube-format satellite measuring 5 by 5 by 5 centimeters and weighing 250 grams. It is equipped with control, power and radio communication systems, as well as solar panels.
Once in orbit, the students — remember, these are teenagers — will receive telemetry through a ground station to be installed in Astana. Plans are in place to make the data available to students across Kazakhstan, who can use it for research projects in physics, astronomy, programming and engineering.
