Robert TWIGGS

Morehead State University • Emeritus Professor, Astronautics

Prof. Robert Twiggs earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Idaho in 1961 and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1964. After spending time in the Air Force, Prof. Twiggs spent 20 years in industry developing high-power microwave tubes and software development. From 1985-1994, he founded and was the director of the Utah Center for Aerospace Technology at Weber State University. It was there he started building his first academic satellites, launching the USA’s first student-organized satellite, NUSAT 1 (Northern Utah Satellite), in 1985. Then, in 1994, Prof. Twiggs joined Stanford University’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics as a consulting professor. There he established the Space Systems Development Laboratory. During his tenure, he started looking for a solution to how long it took to build satellites. His first satellite at Stanford, Sapphire, had taken 6 years to produce. He wanted to find a way to design, build, and then launch a satellite within two years, the length of the average master’s program. During this time, he went to a Container Store and saw a beanie baby box. He realized that was around the perfect size for a satellite that his students could make. In November 1999, Prof. Twiggs proposed CubeSat with Prof. Puig-Suari at a Conference in Hawaii, then the rest, as they say, is history. In 2009, Prof. Twiggs joined Morehead State University as a professor of astronautical engineering in the Space Science Center, where he was a member of the faculty until 2019.

Despite the unparalleled success of Prof Twigg’s innovations, his story is also one of endurance. When Professors Twiggs and Puig-Suari initially presented their novel idea to the Space community, they were met with harsh criticism, namely that the CubeSat could never function as more than a toy in space. But that pushback would matter little to Prof. Twiggs. His goal was and would always be how well they would act as educational tools. But by using the converted ICBM launcher, the first CubeSats were deployed into orbit in 2003, demonstrating the possibilities that lay ahead. Now, every space program is inundated with CubeSat experiments as technologies continue to evolve to support miniaturization, and interest in space is reignited with each success. The CubeSat’s popularity among university and government scientists, students, and other users has almost overwhelmed conventional launch resources. This is partly attributable to the heightened interest from government agencies and private industry but also, in large part, to the sheer magnitude of research and educational projects for which a low-cost CubeSat is an ideal platform. Quite simply, Prof. Robert Twiggs changed how space is used and helped launch the “New Space” Revolution.

As an educator, Prof. Twigg’s approach to teaching has proven to be just as innovative as the technologies he created. While at Morehead State University, he founded his educational technology company, Twiggs Space Labs. His company has been using his PocketQub and ThinSat platforms to re-ignite STEM education at high schools throughout the U.S. and around the globe. He works to provide high schools with hardware and courses that provide hands-on experience on how to design, build, launch, and communicate with a small satellite affordably. Despite his official status as a retired Professor Emeritus, he still spends his time developing educational space programs with no sign of stopping any time soon.

Prof. Robert Twiggs is an incredibly kind and generous soul who proudly believes that: “The more you give away, the more you get back.” He has always championed the idea that the best ideas are the ones that inspire and grow the world. Despite all his innovations and contributions to space technology, he has kept none of it for himself. Keeping his ideas and standards unpatented and publishing them as widely as possible has all supported his dual goals to educate and expand access to space.

In 2010, he named Space News’ 1 of 10 space professionals “That Made a Difference in Space.” In 2022, he was inducted into the SSPI Space and Satellite Hall of Fame, awarded the Small Satellite Conference Lifetime Achievement Award, and received the AAS Sally Ride Excellence in Education Award in recognition of his considerable contributions to the small satellite community throughout his distinguished academic career.

Events

International Astronautical Congress 2024

14-18 October 2024

Milan, Italy

Participation: