Australia’s M1 CubeSat nears launch
Australia’s M1 CubeSat satellite is going through its final testing phase at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra Space Centre before its planned launch in September 2018, the Australian Department of Defence announced on 7 June.
The M1 CubeSat is one of three satellites being developed at UNSW Canberra Space under a $10 million contract signed with the Royal Australian Air Force in November 2017. The second and third satellites are scheduled for launch in 2019 in a formation known as M2.
The small and versatile satellites have re-programmable software defined radios on board, allowing operators to change their mission and improving their functional capabilities for multiple uses.
The M1 spacecraft will give Australia new ways to collect remote sensing information in support of operations.
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