History of the enterprise and partnerships

In the fall of 2000 a new idea was put into practice. A program that allows undergraduate students to gain real engineering experience while still in a university setting called the MTU Enterprise Program came into existence. The Michigan Tech Enterprise program is a unique program. You will be hard pressed to find such an advanced undergraduate research program that gives such great experience anywhere else. Teams work on real projects, work to gain clients and industry partnerships, and meet real deadlines.

 The MTU Aerospace Enterprise began in the fall of 2002 with 17 students enrolled for the first semester, most in their second or third year as undergraduates, with no idea of what was possible or even how to begin. After establishing an organizational structure they began to pursue the dream of designing and building a satellite capable of spaceflight.


Today the MTU Aerospace has approximately sixty members. We have also branched off into two major projects, with the goal of taking on a diverse portfolio of work in the future. In the past three and a half years we have proven ourselves time and time again through excellent performance and successful results.

 We have two teams of students take place the Student Hands-On Training program. This several-day workshop familiarizes students with high-altitude balloon testing and equipment design. We have flown teams for two consecutive summers on the NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. Teams ran experiments on vibrational response analysis on inflatable structures in zero-gravity. Students have attended aerospace conferences and review sessions nation-wide.


One of the largest points of pride for the MTU Aerospace Enterprise was a third place finish in the University NanoSat 3 competition. Thirteen universities competed with a relatively small budget given from NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratories. The MTU Aerospace Enterprise held a strong showing to be named one of three vehicles named flyable or capable of completing its mission.

 The success of the Enterprise program relies heavily on the support of industry through one of two programs: Enterprise Partners and Enterprise Stakeholders. Michigan Tech seeks creative and forward-thinking Enterprise Partners for team sponsorship to help set a new standard for undergraduate education. Enterprise Stakeholders will have a unique educational investment opportunity to fuel continued growth and development of this revolutionary educational program. For more information about how to become a partner in this exciting program, please contact us.