Nasa Will Launch 1st Maine-built Satellite Within 3 Years

NASA will launch the first Maine-built satellite into space at some point in the next three years as part of a collaboration between the University of Maine and three Maine schools. The Maine-built satellite is one of 18 small research satellite proposals from 11 states that NASA chose to launch into space as part of the federal agency’s CubeSat Launch Initiative, which provides opportunities for educational organizations to conduct research in space using NASA’s resources. It will launch on an education mission and collect data for projects proposed by students at Falmouth High School, Fryeburg Academy and Saco Middle School. “We offered to kind of lead this effort,” said Ali Abedi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMaine and director of UMaine’s Center for Undergraduate Research.