Australian-built satellites launched into space

The space race is being radically changed by the disruptive nano-satellite technology, particularly the emergence of CubeSats built from cubes 10 centimetres per side. The first satellites built in Australia in the past 15 years have been launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida to the International Space Station, where they will be deployed into space. The space simulator at The Australian National University's Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre tested and qualified the three tiny satellites called CubeSats to operate in space. One of the lead Australian researchers, Professor Christine Charles, said the launch of the satellites was a significant moment for the Australian space industry. "The space race is being radically changed by the disruptive nano-satellite technology, particularly the emergence of CubeSats built from cubes 10 centimetres per side," said Professor Charles, who leads the Space Plasma Power and Propulsion Division in the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering. She said the three Australian CubeSats will monitor terrestrial weather, which is between 90 and 400 kilometres above Earth. "The terrestrial layer of the atmosphere has never been monitored by satellites," Professor Charles said.