An out of this world opportunity: Western students to launch mini satellite aboard SpaceX mission
Constructed by a team at London, Ont.’s Western University, a tiny satellite — roughly the size of a Rubik’s cube — will ride aboard a SpaceX mission bound for the International Space Station.
According to Western University, the first ever miniature satellite built by a team at Western, also known as CubeSat, is set for liftoff from Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch will provide students the opportunity to learn first-hand about space mission development.
The launch was initially slated for June 3 at 12:34 p.m. but was scrubbed, and is now rescheduled for June 5 at 11:47 a.m.
A ‘CubeSat’ is a cubical mini satellite measuring 10 cm X 10 cm X 10 cm and weighing 1 kg. It can be used alone or in groups, for a maximum of 24 units.
Referred to as “great equalizers” in terms of space exploration and Earth observation, CubeSats are small, modular and relatively inexpensive and easy to launch, according to Western.
Focusing on “delivering equitable opportunities to post-secondary students across the country,” the Canadian CubeSat Project (CCP) was launched by the Canadian Space Agency in 2017.
Ukpik-1, built by a team at London, Ont.'s Western University, being prepared for launch ahead of its June 2023 launch to the International Space Station. (Source: Western University)
Led by engineering professor Jayshri Sabarinathan, a team at Western has worked with the Nunavut Arctic College (NAC) since 2018 to develop a CubSat called Ukpik-1 — and it’s this mini satellite that has a one-way ticket to the International Space Station (ISS).
With Monday’s tentative launch date, Ukpik-1 will hitch a ride aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo ship CRS-28. Upon arrival at the ISS, the mini satellite will be ejected through an airlock to begin its mission.
“Ukpik-1’s primary goal, which echoes the promise of CCP, is giving students at Western and NAC an out-of-this-world educational opportunity to learn about a space mission development from end to end (conception to operations) while working closely with academic, government and industry partners,” according to Western.
The secondary goal of the mission is to allow students at Western and NAC and faculty the chance to operate an immersive virtual reality camera while in orbit in order to collect various images and data.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
For the first time in report's history, Canada's air quality worse than U.S.
Air quality in Canada is now worse than in the U.S., according to the 6th Annual World Air Quality Report. Of the 15 most polluted cities in the two countries, 14 were in Canada.
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
WATCH LIVE As former prime minister Mulroney lies in state, public tributes in Ottawa begin
Members of the public who wish to pay tribute to Brian Mulroney can visit his casket in Ottawa starting this afternoon.
BREAKING Roy McMurtry, former Ontario attorney general, dies at 91
CTV News has confirmed that former Ontario attorney general Roy McMurtry has died.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
DEVELOPING Canada's annual inflation rate ticked down to 2.8 per cent in February, defying expectations
Statistics Canada says the annual inflation rate edged down to 2.8 per cent in February.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.