The HALO V1 satellite project was developed by Tran Trieu Giang (Le Quy Don High School), Hoang Lam Tai (Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School), Tran Quoc Minh (Wellspring International School), and Dao Minh Khoa (Australian International School).

Last week, the four students secured first prize in ASCEND (AEROO Satellite Challenge for Empowering Next-Gen Developers), the inaugural satellite design competition held in Vietnam. They will receive full sponsorship to attend the final round in April in Kazakhstan, where their satellite will be launched to an altitude of 21 km.

'I competed with a winning mindset, so achieving my goal makes me very happy and satisfied', team leader Quoc Minh shared.

Team members (from left): Minh Khoa, Lam Tai, Quoc Minh. *Photo: Contributed*

To prepare for the competition, Minh stated that the team underwent 6 weeks of online training, learning fundamental knowledge in programming, electronics, microcontrollers, and sensors.

During their in-depth research into the aviation industry, Minh's team focused on high-altitude air turbulence. This phenomenon causes aircraft to shake violently and consume more fuel, yet it remains 'invisible' to traditional weather radar, making early detection nearly impossible.

Consequently, the team proposed designing a small satellite capable of detecting atmospheric changes to provide early warnings about turbulence to flights traversing those areas.

Quoc Minh was responsible for general coordination and building the system's operational mechanism. Minh Khoa developed the business plan and product commercialization strategy, Lam Tai designed the electrical circuits and models, and Trieu Giang handled 3D printing.

Minh recounted that the knowledge taught during the training was very basic, so to apply it, the students had to explore on their own and encountered numerous errors. For instance, they mistakenly used a transmitting antenna instead of a receiving one, which prevented them from capturing signals.

'We had to fix it step by step, little by little', Minh shared.

In early March, the team completed their design, utilizing a 1U CubeSat satellite that incorporates global navigation satellite system radio occultation (RO) technology. This technology observes changes in radio waves as they pass through the atmosphere.

Minh explained that this satellite will operate at an altitude of 20 km. Upon reaching its ideal altitude, the satellite will receive GPS signals from the ground. If it encounters a turbulent region, the wave frequency will be altered. Sensors on the satellite will record, process, and transmit data and positioning information back to the ground. This information will then be used to issue warnings to flights.

The design of the HALO V1 satellite. *Photo: Contributed*

The operational principle of the HALO V1 satellite. *Photo: Contributed*

Regarding the business model, Minh stated that the production cost for one satellite is approximately 400 USD (about 10,5 million VND). The team hopes to sell turbulence zone location data to airlines, flight operators, and meteorological research agencies, while also publishing reports on atmospheric conditions in specific areas.

Tran Hoai Nam, head of the ASCEND competition organizing committee, highly praised the project for its practicality, as it addresses a specific problem within the aviation industry.

Pham Yen, bilingual and STEM program manager at Phenikaa School and an ASCEND judge, was impressed by the team's comprehensive development plan, which covers hardware, software design, and market entry strategy.

For the final round, only Quoc Minh could travel to Hanoi to participate, as the other team members had conflicting exam schedules. Ms. Yen observed Minh effectively handling difficult questions and confidently completing his presentation.

'That shows the team was well-prepared and the representative member had a solid grasp of the knowledge', she said.

Quoc Minh representing the team receiving the first prize at the ASCEND satellite design competition, on 7/3. *Photo: Thanh Hang*

Minh felt he gained extensive new knowledge, from satellite manufacturing techniques to the process of commercializing a product. The students also improved their communication and teamwork skills.

In the coming period, the team aims to further refine their model, release the product, and seek opportunities for testing in Vietnam.

Thanh Hang