First student-built satellite to launch on Thursday

The SSETI Express, a satellite designed and built by 100 students from 10 universities in Europe will launch from Russia on Thursday. The satellite is equipped with a camera that will take images of the Earth. Although the satellite is mainly a demonstration, the European Space Agency, which funded the project, sees this launch as the first step for the Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative (SSETI) which will train European students in space science and remote sensing.

Another satellite that is launching with the SSETI Express is China’s Beijing-1 microsatellite, which is carrying the China Mapping Telescope. Its mission is to provide high-resolution imagery for mapping Chinese territory.

Via BBCNews