Launching any payload into space requires lots of energy. Every ounce and inch counts as scientists and engineers strive to pack as much function as possible into the smallest space possible.
Utah State University undergraduate researcher Ethan Wayland leads USU’s Get Away Special (GAS) student team, which has been selected by NASA to design and build a CubeSat, a class of small cube satellite, to deploy into space from the International Space Station. The team, with mentorship from USU Computer and Electrical Engineering Associate Professor Reyhan Baktur, is developing “GASRATS” (Get Away Special Radio and Antenna Transparency Satellite), which features a novel optically transparent patch antenna integrated into a solar panel.
Friday, Nov. 14, at USU’s Science Unwrapped public outreach program, Wayland and Baktur present “Countdown to Launch: Reaching for the Stars,” during which they’ll describe the creative process of designing and building a satellite headed to space. The pair presents at 7 p.m. in the Emert Auditorium, Room ESLC 130, of the Eccles Science Learning Center on the Logan campus. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.
Hands-on learning activities led by USU student groups and community volunteers, along with refreshments, follow the half-hour presentation. In addition, this fall’s series features research posters by USU undergraduates.
“We’re very excited to have Ethan and Reyhan joining us, as we continue our Celebrate Undergrad Research series during USU’s Year of Undergraduate Research,” says Brynja Kohler, Science Unwrapped chair, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, and professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. “This is a fascinating presentation about how engineers tackle challenges by coming up with creative solutions and testing their ideas over and over again.”
A first-generation college student from Twin Bridges, Montana, Wayland has led USU’s renowned GAS Team since spring 2024. The electrical engineering major, who secured a USU Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities (URCO) grant to support his research efforts, plans to pursue graduate studies following graduation from USU in May 2026.
Baktur, whose research interests include antennas and microwave engineering, is affiliated with the Center for Space Engineering at USU and Space Dynamics Laboratory and collaborates with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. A senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, she is a recipient of that organization’s Dudley Award for Undergraduate Teaching. Baktur is active in the U.S. National Committee of the International Union of Radio Science and was the inaugural chair for Women in Radio Science.
Wayland and Baktur’s presentation will be video-recorded and posted on the Science Unwrapped website, within about a week of the in-person event.
Science Unwrapped’s Nov. 14 event is the final gathering for fall 2025. Science Unwrapped takes a winter break and resumes Jan. 23, with the new spring 2026 series, “Celebrate Grad Student Research”:
Directions and parking information are available on the program’s website.
For more information, call 435-797-3517 or visit the Science Unwrapped website.