Case Study: RWTC Aachen University achieves on-time, on-budget satellite design with Altium Designer

Preparing for Lift Off with Aachen University and Altium

RWTC Aachen University, specifically students in the Astronautical Department, faced the challenge of designing a space-ready satellite that could survive launch, space conditions, and re-entry while keeping development costs as low as possible. To meet CubeSat standards and work with off-the-shelf components, they turned to Altium and used Altium Designer for the satellite’s PCB and electronics design.

With Altium Designer, RWTC Aachen University students were able to collaborate in a unified design environment, quickly update schematics and board layouts from prototype test results, and keep the project aligned from start to finish. Altium helped the team complete the COMPASS-1 satellite design on time and on budget, while building practical spacecraft engineering skills and reducing development friction across the project.

RWTC Aachen University