UltraBroadband Nanonetworking Laboratory (UNLab)
Northeastern University
The UNLab is a vibrant, diverse, and interdisciplinary laboratory where Ph.D., M.Sc., and B.S. students collaborate to address wireless communication challenges of national and societal relevance. Our research spans two key areas: ultrabroadband communications that solve spectrum scarcity problems by developing innovative THz wireless technologies, and nanonetworking that facilitates transformative healthcare systems through wearable and intra-body nano-bio communication networks operating at terahertz and optical frequencies.
Project Horizon
Northeastern University
Project Horizon is the CubeSat development division of AerospaceNU, one of Northeastern University’s largest student-run organizations with over 12 accomplished and 5 ongoing engineering projects spanning rocketry, propulsion systems, and aerospace technologies. This specialized division focuses on small satellite design, development, and mission operations, bringing together students from diverse engineering backgrounds to tackle the unique challenges of space systems. Through Project Horizon, AerospaceNU students gain hands-on experience in satellite bus design, subsystem integration, and mission planning while contributing to cutting-edge research projects like TeraLink. The division represents a crucial bridge between academic learning and real-world aerospace engineering, providing students with the technical expertise and collaborative skills needed for the rapidly evolving small satellite industry.
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) plays a crucial role in the TeraLink mission by providing the advanced analog front-end components that form the heart of the sub-THz communication system. Through an existing Space Act Agreement between Northeastern University and JPL, the laboratory is developing space-ready implementations of their pioneering Schottky-diode-based transmitters and receivers, which feature the world’s highest power output at sub-THz frequencies with outstanding temperature stability. These cutting-edge components, including high-frequency multipliers and low-noise broadband balanced frequency mixers, have already been successfully demonstrated in terrestrial multi-kilometer, multi-Gbps ground link tests at 210-230 GHz.
Space Science Center
Morehead State University
Morehead State University serves as a vital partner in the TeraLink mission, bringing over a decade of space systems expertise through their renowned Space Science Center. With experience spanning 15+ space missions and 20+ small spacecraft, MSU contributes essential capabilities in CubeSat design, assembly, integration, and testing through their state-of-the-art facilities including Class 10,000 clean rooms, thermal vacuum chambers, and comprehensive verification laboratories. MSU’s impressive ground infrastructure features a 21-meter deep space tracking antenna—currently the only non-NASA affiliated node on the NASA Deep Space Network—along with advanced mission operations capabilities that will provide critical tracking, telemetry, and command services for the mission. This partnership combines MSU’s proven track record in small satellite operations with Northeastern’s cutting-edge terahertz technology expertise.