Small Satellite Shines Bright

July 18, 2017

On July 14, Mayak, a crowdfunded cube satellite created by young scientists in Russia, was launched from Baikonur spaceport in southern Kazakhstan. The project is making the news because it will be one of the brightest object in the night sky for about month, after unfolding its sun reflector. Mayak will be used as a reference object for the calculation of apparent magnitudes of space objects.

Mayak is a 3U Cubesat-standard microsatellite. In the transport state, it's about 12 inches long. In the working state, its about 10 feet.

Mayak may appear as a bright shooting star at night. Here is a link to find out when you can see it in your area.