[Satellite TODAY 08-05-09] Interorbital Systems (IOS), a U.S.-based rocket and spacecraft manufacturing company, is marketing the launch and orbit of personal-use satellites to the general public, the company announced Aug. 4. 
    The spacecraft, named TubeSat Personal Satellite (PS), can be purchased for $8000, which includes the price of a launch into Low-Earth-Orbit about 310 kilometers (192 miles) above the Earth’s surface on an IOS Neptune 30 launch vehicle.
    IOS said the TubeSat is designed to function as a basic satellite bus or a stand-alone satellite. Each TubeSat kit includes the satellite’s structural components, safety hardware, solar panels, batteries, power management hardware and software, transceiver, antennas, microcomputer, and the required programming tools. The satellite can provide           Earth-from-space video imaging, tracking, on-orbit hardware and software component testing, private e-mail, on-orbit advertising and a variety of experiment-hosting capabilities.
    The spacecraft are designed to provide an operative life of a few weeks, after which they re-enter the atmosphere and burn-up.
Launches are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2010.

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