FAQ

1- How much time will the satellite work/live?

The launch is expected for 2018 and the satellite will be on orbit for about six months.

2- Is it probable to hit another satellite? How likely is it?

It is possible, but very unlikely. Imagine thousands of people walking on different trajectories on Earth, it is very difficult to collide. The same happens with objects in orbit.

3- How is the CubeSat put in orbit?

When there is a launch of something, the CubeSats "take a ride" on the rocket for being very small. They stay in a small compartment of the rocket inside a box called Poly-PicoSatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD) which is the interface between the CubeSats and the Launch Vehicle. When the rocket reaches orbit, they are thrown into space by the P-POD. Another way to put a CubeSat in orbit, happens when they are sending supplies to the ISS. The CubeSats are then received and put in orbit through the Space Station.

4- To which temperatures will the sat be exposed?

The outside of the satellite can be exposed to a temperature of -30 °C to 60 °C. In the interior, the temperature variation is small, staying around -8°C and -3°C.

5- Who can try to receive the satellite data?

Anyone, click here to know about how to do it.

6- What are the benefits of using a nanosatellite instead a bigger sat?

For being very smaller than conventional satellites, the costs to build and launch, and the development time reduces a lot. Besides that, using a nanosatellite increases accessibility to space and keeps frequent launches.

7- How much does it cost to build/launch a CubeSat?

The cost of building a CubeSat can be quite varied, depending on the complexity of the structure and the system the price can reach millions of dollars. But a basic CubeSat can costs around $50.000. To launch a CubeSat the costs stay around $100.000.

8- What is Remove Before Flight?

It is a security pin that cuts off all power in the system before launch, it's a key that provides safety to the satellite before the flight.