STELLA (Science and Technology Education for Land/Life Assessment)

2026-09-02 | By Mike Taylor

License: Attribution 3D Printing Microcontrollers Spectrometer Environmental ESP32 Qwiic Adafruit Feather Thing Plus

Our Mission: Open-Source Science for Everyone

The STELLA project provides an affordable, accessible, and open-source instrument suite that empowers scientists, educators, and makers to explore Earth science and remote sensing. By leveraging low-cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, we are lowering the barrier to entry for collecting high-quality spectral and environmental data. Supported by comprehensive build instructions, open-source software, and a collaborative GitHub community, STELLA makes it easy to visualize and analyze your data in real-time through our custom dataviewer.

How It Works: Plug, Play, and Measure

STELLA instruments combine versatile microcontrollers with COTS sensors to capture critical environmental data, including incoming solar radiation, light reflectance, air and surface temperatures, and methane levels.

Flexible Architecture: The flagship STELLA-1.2 is designed from the ground up to support highly customizable, interchangeable sensor packages.
Reliable Data Logging: Every reading is saved directly to a microSD card, complete with precise time/date stamps and batch metadata.
Zero-Coding Required: Powered by CircuitPython—a beginner-friendly programming language—the operating system is completely drag-and-drop. You don't need to be a software engineer to use it; simply drop the files onto the device, and it’s ready for the field.

Meet the STELLA Fleet

With multiple configurations, there is a STELLA build for every skill level, from classroom education to advanced drone-based spatial data collection.

Model(s) Assembly-Level Key Features Ideal For STELLA-Q2, Helio, & AQ Beginner (No Soldering) Built entirely with Qwiic connectors for plug-and-play assembly. Students, classrooms, and rapid deployment. STELLA-1.1 Intermediate (Soldering & 3D Printing) Color touchscreen interface; ultra-lightweight (<100 grams). Drone payloads and interactive fieldwork. STELLA-1.2 (Flagship) Intermediate (Soldering & 3D Printing) Color touchscreen; supports a wide ecosystem of interchangeable modules. Advanced customization and comprehensive remote sensing. STELLA-2.0 Intermediate (Soldering & 3D Printing) Ultra-lightweight (<100 grams); Bluetooth connectivity via the Adafruit Bluefruit app. Wireless data collection and smartphone integration.

Endless Applications and Extensibility

Because STELLA is highly modular, it can easily adapt to specialized research or community science projects, helping link ground-based optical observations with broader environmental trends:

Agriculture & Hydroponics: Integrate soil moisture probes to monitor crop health and optimize farming production.
Environmental Monitoring: Add air quality sensors for citizen science initiatives and local climate assessments.
Liquid Analysis: Attach custom 3D-printed cuvette holders to the STELLA-1.1 and 1.2 to measure the spectral transmissivity of liquids.

Through our active open forum, the STELLA community continues to drive innovation—fostering collaboration between scientists, engineers, and enthusiasts to build versatile tools that help us better understand the health of our Earth’s ecosystems.

* This does not imply endorsement of any vendor by the U.S. Government.