The Atmospheric Polar Transmission Alignment Satellite (APTAS), is a project initialized and carried out by students at Luleå University of Technology’s (LTU) northernmost campus located in the Norrbotten region of Sweden, above the Arctic Circle. The entire development process is done in-house by studentswith the support by staff and faculty of the LTU Kiruna Space Campus. The project aims to provide a proof of technology of a 1U CubeSat and strengthen LTU’s position as the Space University of Sweden. APTAS benefits from its proximity to the Swedish Space Institute (IRF), EISCAT and one of the new facilities of EISCAT 3D, as well as Esrange Space Center, which will be equipped in the near future with small satellite launching capabilities. The skills and expertise acquired during the course of this project do, without a doubt, aid the students involved, both in terms of future work in the space industry, and as a boost of confidence in their capabilities. An international team of students with various backgrounds having conceptualized and tested systems pertaining to different disciplines such as telecommunications, mechanical analysis, orbital dynamics, electronics and software development is meant to show and encourage that in combination with appropriate equipment and mentorship, such undertakings can be carried out by a team of university students.