An Indian teenager has built what is thought could be the world's lightest satellite, which will be put into orbit at a Nasa[sic] facility in the US in June.
Rifath Shaarook's 64-gram (0.14 lb) device was selected as the winner in a competition co-sponsored by Nasa[sic]. The 18-year-old says its main purpose was to demonstrate the performance of 3-D printed carbon fibre.
Rifath told local media his invention will go on a four-hour mission for a sub-orbital flight. During that time, the lightweight satellite will operate for around 12 minutes in a micro-gravity environment of space.
"We designed it completely from scratch," he said. "It will have a new kind of on-board computer and eight indigenous built-in sensors to measure acceleration, rotation and the magnetosphere of the earth."
We need more competitions like this that encourage young people in science, and we need the media to make a bigger deal about it.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday May 17 2017, @01:48PM
So if a 64 gram satellite is possible. Then how closer are we to amateur launch of such satellites?
It should need something like 1.3 kg of fuel.
I'm thinking some dual-microcontroller, antennas, solar panels. Maybe more than 65 gram, but in the same ballpark. This would enable some electronic mailbox in space. Completely without any ISP. Alternatives could be laser or terahertz link. Radiation will be a problem, thus the dual thing.