NanoSatisfi Sends Crowd-Funded Satellites into Space

The ArduSat 1 and ArduSat 10 satellites, partly built in Australia, assembled by U.S.-based company NanoSatisfi, and funded by crowd-funding website KickStarter, are currently on board the Japanese cargo module HTV4, which launched from the Japanese island of Tanegashima on August 4. The satellites are on their way to the International Space Station (ISS) where they will be launched into space.

The pair of cubesats uses “off-the-shelf” components and are powered by solar panels and rechargeable batteries. Inside the satellites are a number of instruments, such as cameras, temperature sensors, CO2 and ozone sensors, and a Geiger counter. Sun sensors, gyroscopes and a GPS receiver will help each satellite to determine its position in orbit. A set of magnetorquers will use to the Earth’s magnetic field to help it steer.

According to reports, schools will be able to pay to use the satellites to conduct educational experiments. The satellites can run up to 16 experiments at once.