Casper - Cube in Space Experiment

With the support of the Youth Creativity Fund, high school student Casper Dong and his team, CiS Waterloo successfully launched a custom-built heating device into low Earth orbit in June 2025 through the iEDU Cubes in Space program, in partnership with NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.

Their innovation—a compact 4 cm × 4 cm thermal cube—was designed to stabilize temperature for space-based chemical and biological experiments, helping make scientific research in space more affordable, accurate, and accessible to youth innovators.

For over two years, Casper’s team designed, coded, and physically built the custom circuit boards and hardware required for the thermal cube.

They funded the project through prize earnings in regional science fairs and Casper’s personal tutoring work. With additional financial support from the Youth Creativity Fund, the group were able to purchase critical hardware and cover integration costs—without which the mission would not have been possible.

Casper reflects:“… even these actual hardware components cost $100 alone… Youth Creativity Fund coming in and stepping up… really… blew us away.”

Once completed, the cubes were submitted before the late‑April deadline and accepted for launch. In June 2025, they flew aboard a NASA sounding‑rocket mission, a capstone of hard work and student initiative.

Skills & Impact
Through this journey, Casper gained real-world experience in scientific research, engineering design, and project management. He also practiced public outreach and open-source collaboration, with hopes to share the design publicly for others to build and extend. Media attention is now a goal—similar to earlier Canadian teams that garnered national coverage through Cubes in Space programs.

Inspiring Young Minds: Keynote in May
On May 6, 2025, Casper delivered a keynote at the “Explore Your Future: Careers in STEM & AI” event hosted by the Business & Education Partnership of Waterloo Region at the Waterloo Public Library.

Aimed at students in grades 7–12 and their families, the event featured a diverse panel of STEM and AI professionals and resources to guide youth exploring future careers.

Casper’s presence as a high school keynote speaker stood out. Younger attendees and their families looked up to him as a living example of what student-driven STEM innovation can achieve. His keynote highlighted how youth teams can lead spaceflight tech projects and demonstrated the impact of perseverance and creativity in science and engineering

Looking Ahead
Casper and his team exemplify what dedicated student-led engineering can achieve: tackling real-world scientific barriers, engaging community learners, and leading innovation at a NASA launch pad.

Congratulations on this stellar journey—and for showing younger students that the sky is only the beginning!

Hear Casper share about the experiment here

https://www.cubesinspace.com/