McMaster Interdisciplinary Satellite Team

Who Are We?

The McMaster Interdisciplinary Satellite Team is a group of highly motivated and enthusiastic students from McMaster University constructing a satellite to be launched in 2026. The main mission is McMaster PRESET, short for Pitch REsolving Spectroscopy for Electron Transport. MIST started its journey in 2015 as a small group of students working on an early version of the McMaster NEUDOSE mission.

The project was conceptualized by one of our Principal Investigators, Dr. Andrei Hanu, who onboarded students to begin designing and building McMaster University’s first satellite. In 2018, we were chosen to participate in the Canadian CubeSat Project (CCP), funded by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Since then, the team has grown significantly larger, with over 80 students currently participating!

Three scientists in blue lab coats, hairnets, and face masks holding a small metallic object in a laboratory or cleanroom setting.

An individual wearing blue scrubs, a hairnet, and face mask is working with small satellites or electronic components inside a laboratory. They are using a tool to handle or assemble the components.

A college classroom with students attentively listening to a male instructor giving a presentation. The instructor stands next to a screen displaying a slide about launch vehicle stages, and some students are using laptops or taking notes.

Two young men engaged in a conversation backstage, one holding a device with wires and a sticker, wearing a backpack, and the other with a thoughtful expression, wearing a casual t-shirt.

Why?

MIST is pioneering new space technologies in a vast area of science and engineering. Developed almost entirely by students, MIST represents an impressive milestone, offering students exceptional practical experience in satellite design and mission planning. Around 300 students have worked on MIST, gaining in-depth technical skills, and contributed to various mission phases. MIST is fostering the next generation of highly qualified personnel, inspiring future scientists, engineers, and leaders poised to drive advancements in Canada's space sector.

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