USI satellite nears 1,000 days in orbit

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The USI student-built satellite is nearing 1,000 days in orbit.

Schools officials say it is also reaching a critical phase of its journey where it will descend back into the Earth’s atmosphere while tracking important data during reentry.

UNITE Cubesat was deployed two years and seven months ago.

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The 18th Space Control Squadron of the U.S. Space Force is now predicting that the satellite could reach reentry as early as this Thursday, October 21.

Project officials say the satellite’s mission was to measure plasma levels in the lower ionosphere, record its own internal and exterior temperatures and measure its orbital decay as it reenters the Earth’s atmosphere.

As of Monday afternoon, officials say the satellite was still around 125 miles out from the surface of the Earth.

Dr. Glen Kissel, Associate Professor of Engineering and lead advisor to the UNITE CubeSat team, said that around 50 miles, it would begin to break up.

Kissel says data is coming in daily. However, he says he most likely will not know exactly when and where UNITE burns up during reentry.

According to a press release, as many as 12 students worked on various stages of the project over the past five years.