Student team completes major milestone for OirthirSAT CubeSat testing
Published: 18 June 2026
A team of University of Glasgow students has successfully completed a major systems-level qualification milestone for the OirthirSAT CubeSat.
A team of University of Glasgow students has successfully completed a major systems-level qualification milestone for the OirthirSAT CubeSat, following a series of sinusoidal and random vibration tests conducted at the STFC Higgs Centre for Innovation in Edinburgh.
The testing campaign, carried out in the Higgs Centre cleanroom facilities, verified the structural integrity and mechanical robustness of the OirthirSAT engineering model under launch-representative vibration environments. A total of nine students took part in the campaign, gaining hands-on experience of professional spacecraft qualification processes and cleanroom operations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk1_UWWpch8
Vibration testing is a critical step in satellite development, ensuring that spacecraft hardware can withstand the severe mechanical loads experienced during launch. Over the course of the campaign, the student team executed both low-frequency sinusoidal vibration tests and broadband random vibration tests, following industry-standard procedures and acceptance criteria. The successful completion of these tests represents a significant step toward flight readiness for the mission.
OirthirSAT is a student-led 3U CubeSat project based at the University of Glasgow, providing undergraduate and postgraduate students with practical experience in spacecraft systems engineering, assembly, integration, and test (AIT). The project is supported by academic staff within the James Watt School of Engineering and benefits from collaboration with external partners across the UK space sector.
Dr Kevin Worrall, Academic Supervisor for the OirthirSAT project, said: “This is an excellent achievement by the student team and a key milestone in the development of OirthirSAT. Successfully completing vibration testing demonstrates both the maturity of the spacecraft design and the professionalism with which the students approached the campaign. Opportunities like this provide invaluable real-world experience and prepare our students for careers across the space and aerospace industries.”
Joe Gibbs, outgoing Programme Engineering Manager for OirthirSAT and now Academic Supervisor on the project, added: “Leading a vibration test campaign in a national facility such as the STFC Higgs Centre is a demanding task, and the students rose to the challenge exceptionally well. From test preparation and documentation through to execution and post-test inspection, they operated to a standard consistent with professional satellite programmes. This milestone reflects the team’s technical capability, teamwork, and commitment, and it has been a privilege to support them through this phase of the project.”
UK Space Minister Liz Lloyd said: “OirthirSAT is a brilliant example of the next generation of UK space talent in action. Completing vibration testing to professional standards at a national facility is no small feat, and the University of Glasgow team should be incredibly proud of what they've achieved.
“That's why the UK Government is investing in projects like this - giving students real hands-on experience of professional spacecraft development and building the pipeline of engineers and mission specialists that the UK space sector needs.”
The OirthirSAT team will now progress to post-test analysis and subsequent environmental testing as part of the spacecraft’s ongoing qualification programme. The project continues to play a central role in the University of Glasgow’s hands-on space engineering education, offering students direct exposure to the full lifecycle of a satellite mission.
First published: 18 June 2026