| Abstract |
SSETI gives students a chance to get involved in real space missions by the distributed design, development, implementation and launch of microsatellites. A group of about 250 students from many European universities has collectively designed a satellite by using a dedicated news server and weekly chats on Internet. By using the Internet, the virtual team was able to move from design to construction of SSETI Express, the first spacecraft project of SSETI, in less than a year. Background: The SSETI program was started by space-enthusiastic students from 21 European universities in 2000. They all were united by the desire and dream to work in a real space mission with the objective to build a microsatellite. A one-week kick-off meeting via the Internet from 9th to 13th October 2000 marks the beginning of the SSETI program. The first step to create the first pan-European student satellite was made. Fortunately, the SSETI movement found a quick backer of their objectives in ESA, in particular in ESA's Education Office and in ESA/ESTEC - to facilitate the distributed design. In fact, ESA's Education Office founded SSETI; ESA provides the infrastructure, experts, experience, encouragement, and coordination.
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