MSU-built ‘loaf-sized’ satellite takes orbit

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 2/26/21

A small satellite, described as “bread-loaf sized,” was launched into space on Feb. 20 and will soon land on the International Space Station. The satellite was a project that began with a $1 million grant in 2015 and involved 30 Montana State University students from the Space Science and Engineering Laboratory. IT-SPINS, as the satellite is referred, will measure ultraviolet light and upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere and will ultimately gather data that may help in more accurately forecasting space weather. The MSU researchers who helped make IT-SPINS a reality will also be involved in analyzing the data it collects. Not bad for a Wonderbread-sized vessel.