# Montenegro Luča satellite AIAA award recognition

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/montenegro-lua-satellite-aiaa-award-recognition
> Updated: 2026-08-27T07:06:04.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2.

Montenegro’s first satellite, Luča, a 1U CubeSat equipped with a camera and cosmic radiation sensor, was named a finalist for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. The mission, managed by Montenegro Space Research, aimed to support STEAM education and international scientific cooperation.

Following a nomination and public voting process, Luča won the ‘Rookie of the Year 2026’ award. The announcement was made during the SmallSat Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. The satellite secured the victory against larger projects, including Bahrain’s Al-Munther 3U CubeSat and Australia’s ElaraSat MMS-1 platform. Montenegro Space Research described the win as a historic milestone for the nation’s domestic space sector.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-27: Luča satellite wins prestigious AIAA award in the US

Montenegro’s first satellite, Luča, won the AIAA ‘Rookie of the Year 2026’ award at the SmallSat Conference in the US, surpassing larger satellite missions from Bahrain and Australia.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lua-satellite-wins-prestigious-aiaa-award-in-the-us

### 2026-08-23: Luča satellite named finalist for AIAA Rookie of the Year award

Montenegro's first satellite, Luča, is a finalist for the AIAA ‘Rookie of the Year’ award, recognized for its technical merits as a 1U CubeSat mission.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lua-satellite-named-finalist-for-aiaa-rookie-of-the-year-award

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Cite as: Montenegro Luča satellite AIAA award recognition. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/montenegro-lua-satellite-aiaa-award-recognition