Hitch a Ride With NASA

CubeSat

I recently posted a poem about The Planetary Society‘s CubeSat, a tiny satellite that fits in your hand. The little guys are standardized, “approximately four inches long, have a volume of about one quart and weigh about 3 pounds.”While more than one company will launch CubeSats, NASA is offering rides into orbit with them.The current effort is part of a White House initiative to encourage private space industry, offer educational opportunities, and complement NASA missions. Groups sending up CubeSats must fund the satellite themselves – about the cost of a new car. (Okay, a very nice new car, maybe a Tesla. But that’s still a cheap way to get your mission into orbit. An opportunity for citizen scientists interested in space-based technologies.)CubeSat missions launched through NASA must meet NASA criteria. Applicants will submit proposals electronically by 4:30 p.m. EST, Nov. 25. There’s more here.