ANN ARBOR ? The University of Michigan put two satellites into space Monday on a NASA rocket and satellite. U-M was one of three universities across the nation to send satellites into space on this rocket.
M-cubed, which about the size of a square tissue box, ? 10 cm by 10 cm by 10 cm ? is designed to take pictures of Earth. It is also flying a prototype of a specialized computer that private industry is testing for future space flights. RAX, which is about three times the size of M-Cubed, will conduct a variety of experiments and measurements of the atmosphere.
U-M currently has one satellite in orbit. It has funding for two more missions. It took four years to build M-Cubed. Ken Gmerek, now a senior and the project manager, joined the team the second week of his freshmen year.
Having students build satellites that are actually launched into space is a great combination of teaching them how to do research, the engineering skills needed and also how to work with industry, said James Cutler, an aerospace engineering professor at U-M who has been guiding the students.
Many of the students that have been involved in the program and graduated have gone to work directly for a variety of space-related companies. U-M has set up a couple of tracking stations on campus to capture the satellite signals.
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