For Satellite Anniversary, Balloons Just Aren’t Enough

To mark the 50^th anniversary of the first manmade satellite launch, Arianespace will launch 50 nanosatellites for the International Astronautical Federation. Each of the nanosats will represent a different country; each will weigh about one kilogram; and each will be used for scientific experiments, with data being relayed back to universities and other organizations. The nanosats will be launched on a single Arianespace launcher.