Northwest Aerospace News August | September Issue No. 10 | Page 26

T
he sentiment surrounding millen-
nials and their poor communication
skills can be accurate. But this is not
the case with the students in the Proj-
ect DaVinci Cubesat program at North
Idaho STEM Charter Academy. These
students have launched a satellite into
space via a Rocket Labs program (with
NASA) called Venture Class Launch
Service, which is impressive enough.
But the business acumen of these
students is elevated. The small group
of eight to twelfth graders met in a
courtyard recently to track their bread-
box-sized satellite flying overhead at
17,000 miles per hour.
The students have been trained to give
a firm handshake, look you in the eye
and clearly announce their names and
role on the team. This skill is coming
in handy with the opportunities this
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
project has afforded, attracting invita-
tions to speak at national astronautical
conferences and other related events.
Students have job titles like Space
Ambassador and Educational Lead,
Development Lead, and Spacecraft
Systems Lead, and the authority of
these roles is not lost on them. Nor are
the regular “team” phone calls they
have directly with NASA.
Beth Brubaker and David Moon serve
as Educational Leads for Project
DaVinci Cubesat at the school. As in-
structors, they work together to foster
the students in this program. Moon
cites that he enjoys, “watching the
kids grow and get out of their comfort
zone.” He reflected on the shy and
quiet students who bloomed with the
program, “Now they are speaking in
front of hundreds at conferences.”
Lab’s Electron
Launch of Rocket Lab’s Electron booster (Credit: Rocket Lab)
To understand the program and the
tremendous opportunity it has provid-
ed for the charter school in Rathdrum,
Idaho, here’s some background.