ThickSat satellite built by Virginia Tech students is headed to space Published Monday, Dec. 21, 2020, 10:53 am Join AFP's 100,000+ followers on Facebook Purchase a subscription to AFP | Subscribe to AFP podcasts on iTunes News, press releases, letters to the editor: augustafreepress2@gmail.com Front Page » Local/State » ThickSat satellite built by Virginia Tech students is headed to space Students at Space@VT finalize assembly of their ThickSat, which will test a carbon fiber mast boom in low Earth orbit. Photo by Gustavo Gargioni. Few students have the opportunity to design, test, and build a satellite and see it successfully launched into space. A group of Virginia Tech engineering students are one step closer as their satellite, the “ThickSat,” has been delivered for space launch qualification testing before being integrated onto the rocket for launch.