Students Support Space Concordia

A group of students has pitched in to try and help take Concordia where it's never gone before: into outer space. They recently donated $500 to Space Concordia's contest entry into the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge.

The group of student donors initially came together for their Capstone project, a practical application of skills that all undergraduate engineering students must complete in their final year. Team leader, Korhan Akçura describes how the group successfully won a grant from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), but since their project costs had already been covered, they decided to use the money to support Space Concordia.

Appropriately enough, Akçura's team project also had space as a theme. They built a mini satellite and then used computer software to simulate a launch and orbit around the planet. Akçura's teammates were Peter Scheer, Evans Durandisse, Ala'a Refaei, Ouben Jeong and Fayza Sayeed.

Akçura came to Concordia as an international student from Turkey. He studied in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and just graduated this Spring. When asked what he takes away from his Concordia education, he says, "It gives you a sense of confidence that you can solve real-world challenges."

The Canadian Satellite Design Challenge requires students to design and build an operational satellite. The winning team will see their satellite launched into space this fall.

Find out more about the contest at Concordia's NOW newsletter. Visit Space Concordia's website.