NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative provides opportunities for small satellite payloads on upcoming rocket launches to conduct research that addresses science, exploration, technology development, education, or operations relevant to NASA’s strategic goals. This initiative aids in low-cost technology development and research, bridging strategic knowledge gaps and accelerating flight-qualified technology via partnerships among NASA, U.S. industry, and educational institutions.

Each cube-shaped satellite is approximately four inches long and weighs about 3 pounds. One proof-of-concept CubeSat demonstration called “Alpha Cubesat” was developed in collaboration with Cornell University, and is set to be released from the ISS in the coming year. Alpha will deploy the world’s first retroreflective light sail equipped with four computer chip-sized satellites, or “ChipSats,” which will collect data about the voyage and broadcast back to Earth, opening up new techniques for interstellar messages. Hear from a NASA representative and a member of the Alpha team as they discuss the role of CubeSats in technological innovation, and learn more about Alpha CubeSat in the new exhibit Postcards from Earth: Holograms on an Interstellar Journey, now on display at the Intrepid Museum!

The event is hosted and co-produced by John “Das” Galloway, founder of the Kerbal Space Academy.