Reach for the sky: Arabi Karteepan (left) and some of the members of the Astrogazers club at the FAAM aircraft at Cranfield University this week
Pupils from Croydon High have taken a major step towards achieving their ambitious dream to become the first all-girls school in the world to design, build and launch a satellite into space.
The latest stage of the school’s Mission Pegasus took place this week at the FAAM Airborne Laboratory at Cranfield University, when the pupil-led Astrogazers team conducted live flight testing of their CubeSat systems.
FAAM stands for Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements, and the aircraft offers scientific and commercial users access to world-class measurement technology with which to tackle some of the most difficult problems in atmospheric science.
Croydon High’s Astrogazers team has already built a prototype satellite instrument and demonstrated that it can work in the vacuum of space.
This latest milestone marks the culmination of an intense year of lab and remote testing, including work at the Surrey Space Centre and the installation of a remote sensor station on the school roof.
Detailed work: members of the Astrogazers club carry out adjustments on their CubeSat
After months of meticulous planning, a member of the team travelled on board the FAAM aircraft to carry out live flight testing of their CubeSat’s systems.
The team successfully retrieved the data from the CubeSat and will now begin processing and analysing it alongside the high-quality measurements collected by FAAM’s research aircraft during the flight.
Inside Croydon has reported previously on the progress of the Astrogazers. In 2023, the girls’ independent school in Selsdon ran an astronomy club project that sent a pair of weather balloons into space. That inspired the club members to begin researching, and fund-raising, on the next project, Mission Pegasus, and launch a satellite into low-earth orbit.
This week’s high-flying edxperiments marked the end of Phase 2 of the project. Croydon High’s Astrogazers now look ahead to Phases 3 and 4, which involve the engineering model build and securing a rocket launch partner.
They are also seeking sponsorship to help fund the construction of the final flight-ready satellite using space-grade materials.
Arabi Karteepan is the head of physics at Croydon High and who founded the Astrogazers
Club, leading to her being awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s Secondary and Further Education Award in 2024.
“When one of my pupils asked me ‘Can we go to space?’, I said, ‘Yes’.
“Our pupils have built a working satellite instrument and have now tested it under genuine flight conditions.
“Part of their success is due to the fact that they operate with all the professionalism of a real space company. They tackle setbacks head-on through collaborative problem-solving and methodical troubleshooting, ensuring nothing is left to chance.
“With critical foresight, they anticipate potential issues and embed robust preventative measures. This is real science, performed at the highest level,” Karteepan said.
Annabel Davies, Croydon High School’s headteacher, praised her staff and pupils: “The dedication, talent and sheer ambition of these girls is extraordinary.
“Mission Pegasus is more than a project – it’s a statement of what girls can achieve when they are supported to aspire without limits, and this is what we do here at Croydon High School.”
The launch of the CubeSat is planned for 2026–2027, and Croydon High is calling on the public, industry leaders and STEM champions to help make the next phases possible.
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