LINCOLN GRADUATE TAKES PART IN NASA SATELLITE PROJECT

Juan Ignacio Prieto, Class of 2023, is part of the team of University of Chicago students who designed a communications satellite. NASA will launch it into orbit in 2026.

As a kid, Juan Ignacio Prieto wanted to become an aerospace engineer. With this satellite endeavor, what seemed a daydream is now a reality. As one of our students, he led Climate Summits, participated in Math competitions, enthusiastically attended Theory of Knowledge classes, and was awarded as the Valedictorian of his class. Now, a Lincoln graduate of the Class of 2023, he is in his first year studying physics and philosophy at the University of Chicago. He is also working on a team project to build a communications satellite that NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) will launch into orbit in 2026.

This is one of the ten university projects from the United States selected by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI), a program created in 2010 that provides U.S. educational institutions and non-profit organizations the fully funded opportunity to launch a designed satellite into low earth orbit (LEO). So far, CubSat has launched over 150 small research satellites.

So, How does someone go from being a passionate Lincoln learner to designing a satellite for NASA? We interviewed Juan Ignacio to learn more about his journey as a young agent of change.

From Lincoln to PULSE-A

It all began with one meeting. Two weeks into the academic year, Juan Ignacio met the PULSE-A team (Polarization modUlated Laser Satellite Experiment) and joined the 8-member group of undergraduates that, at the time, had the preliminary stages of the satellite design. “It was an exciting opportunity to apply my scientific knowledge, develop cutting-edge technology, and expand my knowledge on the design and experimental setting of physics and engineering,” he shares

In November 2023, with much expectation, the team submitted an 80-page proposal to CubeSat to create a 10x10x23 centimeter nanosatellite, build a ten megabit-per-second laser downlink, far more secure and accurate than radio frequency, take a signal on the satellite, and send it to an optical ground station on Earth. Within this outline lies the challenge: increase the speed of communications and create more secure space-to-ground operations.

“When we heard the news in early March that we got accepted to launch in 2026 we were all very excited, but then we all also felt the immediate shock of ‘Ah, now we need to build this thing,” Juan Ignacio comments. Though the location will not be announced until 8-12 months before launch, chances are their satellite will take off from the International Space Station, as most CSLI projects have done before.

The Work of a Lincoln Communicator

As a true Lincoln graduate, Juan Ignacio carries the attribute of a Communicator even in the satellite project. As the Ground Station Department Head, he leads a team of 8 people to design, experimentally verify, and construct the optical components of the ground station and the radio frequency ground station. In other words, he has to make sure they can communicate with the satellite and send data up and down.

The optical ground station is the unique component of their operation. It consists of a telescope, a camera, an optical path, and some high-speed detectors that capture the laser beams sent down by the satellite. Through all this equipment, they track the satellite moving in the sky to keep the telescope pointed at it and to decode the information sent in one of the lasers. Juan Ignacio explains it in more detail:

We always have our laser on, but instead, we rotate its polarization. So you can imagine the laser being made up of waves, and we can rotate those waves left and right to encode 1s and 0s, using circular polarization. The optical ground station then has to receive these and decode the 1s and 0s based on how the laser light is rotated.

From PULSE-A to Space

Now, the team has the funds necessary to reach the stars. NASA covers hundreds of thousands of dollars for this kind of operation. It also covers a spot in a launch vehicle and the cost of deployment from the international space station. And with this also came the expansion of the team, now with 53 undergraduates from the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, the Physics Department, the Computer Science Department, and the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics; plus the guidance of UChicago professors.

Despite the impressive funding and growth, there is still a long way to go. The team has to fund the rest of the operations: designing, building, and later on operating the satellite. The estimated cost for all this is 155,000 UD. But such a challenge does not take down the high spirits of Juan Ignacio. It shows in the way he explains the innovative aspect of the mission:

PULSE-A is a technology demonstrator for a future mission PULSE-Q, which would demonstrate quantum key distribution (QKD). The development of quantum computers makes the current encryption methods very vulnerable. QKD can keep your data safe from quantum computers, whereas your current normal encryption cannot. Luckily for your privacy, we don't have real quantum computers yet, but when we do, we will need quantum keys, and hence a distribution system, to keep your data safe.

Being acquainted with the task is a must as a supervisor and organizer in the development of the ground station. “Recently I have been focused on running certain experiments. I hope to run another one this summer, which could be published as a scientific article,” he explains. It so happens that researching holds a big role in Juan Ignacio’s future.

Once a Condor, now a future physicist

After achieving a goal, what’s next but to set another one? For Juan Ignacio, the plan is to become a physics researcher and professor: “I only recently decided to major in philosophy, and this was in part due to the influence of professors here at the university and Mr. Winchester, my English and TOK teacher in Lincoln high school.”

Transitioning from school to university usually has the shock element. But, for Juan Ignacio, the holistic approach to knowledge embedded in the UChicago environment was familiar. “My experience with the IB diploma, which is holistic in nature, and Lincoln's diverse approach to learning was very valuable.”

He already has plans for what comes after college: go to graduate school for physics, work in academia to do research, and become a professor. Projects like PULSE-A are one step in this direction. And it is not the only experiment Juan Ignacio is involved in. He is also onto a physics experiment called CeNTREX at Argonne National Laboratory. “It is another way in which I can learn more about the professional atmosphere of physics research and gain valuable experience that may help me in achieving my goal,” he says. 

Ultimately, Juan Ignacio's journey shows a truly resilient and curious spirit, with the characteristic drive of all of our graduates. “A Lincoln learner doesn't learn just from going to class. They learn from student-led clubs and engage in discussion with friends from completely different cultures,” he explains. When asked about any advice for our students, the quick answer was initiative: “When you have a good idea, don't think you're not good enough to accomplish it. When you want to reach out to a professor or teacher, don't think they are too busy. Taking initiative is what takes people far. It is what took our team of UChicago students (our satellite) to space.”