In Greek mythology, ATENEA (Athena in English) is the goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and justice. Her name embodies the scientific knowledge and meticulous planning that allowed this 12U CubeSat to fly with Artemis II.

While NASA’s mother mission is named Artemis (in honour of the goddess of the Moon), Argentina sends Atenea. In mythology, both are strong and independent goddesses, representing a symbolic alliance as they venture together into deep space.

Unlike other deities who represent raw power, Athena is the patron of resourceful intellect. This highlights the ability of experts and students working together to create advanced technology with optimized resources under low-cost frameworks.

• Design of processes and multidisciplinary team organization based on agile methodologies for the rapid execution of low-cost satellite missions. As the project sponsor, CONAE assumes the challenge and responsibility of this role.
• Validation of the Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) process for CubeSat platforms intended for technological demonstrations, increasing their Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and enabling their use in more complex missions. CONAE, with workmanship and facility operators from VENG S.A., leads this activity in collaboration with all participating institutions.
• Survey of radiation doses from low Earth orbit to deep-space environments under different radiation-shielding levels, supporting designs based on Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) components. This experiment is developed jointly by UNSAM and FIUBA.
• Testing of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs), optoelectronic devices with high photon detection efficiency, for single-photon measurements in the visible spectrum with a high dynamic range. A technological demonstration led by UNSAM.
• Survey of Global Positioning System (GPS) data above the GPS constellation to optimize transfer-orbit maneuver operations for GEO orbits and cislunar orbits. Using a GPS receiver developed by UNLP.
• Validation of long-range communication links for future deep-space exploration programs, using a communication system developed by UNLP for a previous mission and adapted for this scenario.
• Contribute to fostering international collaboration efforts led by CONAE, especially with NASA and concerning the Artemis program.

ATENEA's flight system includes the following subsystems:

• Structure: designed by UNLP
  It provides structural support and radiation shielding for all satellite subsystems.

• On-Board Computer (OBC): developed by UNLP
  It runs the flight software, controlling the overall satellite and handling commands and data.

• Communications System: developed by UNLP – antennas tested by IAR
  It enables S-band communications for receiving telecommands and sending housekeeping telemetry and science payload data to ground stations.

• Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS): COTS
  It provides attitude determination and 3-axis control for stable sun pointing.

• Power System: COTS
  It manages power storage, distribution, and battery charging from solar panels in-flight.

• Solar Panels: developed by CNEA
  They convert sunlight into electrical power for the power system.

• External Charger (EECC): developed by FIUBA
  It was intended for battery charging during on-ground operations, with no sun illumination.

• GNSS Receiver: developed by UNLP
  It is intended to work in non-nominal scenarios, above the GNSS constellation.

• LabOSat: provided by UNSAM
  LabOSat (an acronym for Laboratory-on-a-Satellite) is a miniature laboratory with its own computer and sensing boards used for testing technology in space. In ATENEA, it will be testing a Silicon Photomultiplier and measuring radiation with two external dosimeters and one internal dosimeter (the latter provided by FIUBA).