In 1999, UNP was synonymous with the Nanosatellite (NS) cycle of small satellite development from universities, with professional mentoring led by AFRL. NS is a four phased cycle where multiple university teams were funded to develop their systems with the goal of achieving a flight ready system. Throughout that whole time, various training/mentoring efforts, review types/timelines, etc. have shifted to better advance teams.
In 2023, the Mission Concept (MC) program was added to UNP through a partnership with NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) and Exploration Research & Technology (ER&T). All three organizations found universities applying to our programs for the first time often had non-competitive applications and concepts. The MC program was created to help these new universities access mentoring and guidance in scoping a relevant mission. UNP expects that as these participants learn and grow, the pool of more mature applicants will also expand.
Please see the solicitation section for information on becoming a participant.