Toaster-sized space telescope launches from India

The smallest astronomical satellite ever built launched Feb. 25, 2013 as part of a mission to prove that even a very small telescope can push the boundaries of astronomy. The satellite was designed and assembled at the Space Flight Laboratory of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS). It was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, along with its twin, also designed in Canada, but assembled in Austria. "The launch appeared to go flawlessly," said Cordell Grant, manager of satellite systems for the UTIAS lab. "It was nerve-wracking watching the launch because something can always go wrong. I felt great when it launched successfully and I felt even better a few hours later when we actually 'talked' to the satellites and ensured they were both working." Each nano-satellite in the mission, which is known as BRITE, is a cube 20 centimetres per side that weighs less than 7 kilograms.
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