Students await launch of their satellite which will observe space weather
EDMONTON — A little satellite built by a group of University of Alberta students will supply information that could one day prevent damage from solar flares.
The AlbertaSat cube satellite, which is about the size of a breadbox, will measure the effects of space weather. It’s scheduled to be launched on a supply rocket to the International Space Station later this month.
Charles Nokes, a masters student in space physics who has been working on the satellite since he was an undergraduate in 2013, says the satellite will examine the energy from the sun and its interaction with the earth’s ionosphere.
Solar flares produce the Northern Lights, but can also cause costly and disruptive damage to electrical and electronic equipment.