Cube Satellite Gets Closer To Launch

The creation, launch and operation of a cube satellite is the goal of the AlbertSat team, an interdisciplinary group made up of U of A undergraduate and graduate students aided by faculty advisers. Their goal is almost in sight as the team gets ready to bid farewell to their creation, Ex-Alta 1, Alberta's first cube satellite.

Andy Kale - 21 July 2016

Ex-Alta 1 - Alberta The satellite is about to journey to the Netherlands where it will join other satellites from the QB50 programme, after which it will be shipped to the USA to hitch a ride to the International Space Station where it will be deployed into orbit. Once launched, the satellite will help increase our understanding of how space weather affects the Earth by taking measurements of the Earth's magnetic field (thanks to an magnetometer also designed and built by the team) together with measurements of the electron density and radiation dose.

Measurements will be transmitted to the rooftop ground station located at the U of A which is operated by the AlbertaSat team, giving the students a unique cradle to grave experience of the full satellite design, construction, and operation lifecycle.

For more information about the Ex-Alta 1 cube satellite and the AlbertaSat team see http://albertasat.ca.