AAUSAT5 CubeSat gets extended stay on the International Space Station

AAUSAT5. Credits: Aalborg University

AAUSAT-5 is a small satellite designed and built by a team of students from Aalborg University in Denmark, supported by their professors and the ESA Education Office. Its main objective is to test student-built receivers for signals released by the Automated Identification System of sea vessels. The secondary objective is to test communication protocols designed by the students.

The small CubeSat built by the students from Denmark just got an extension of its stay on-board the International Space Station. The small satellite, delivered to the orbital outpost with the Japanese HTV-5 vehicle, will wait a bit longer before its autonomous flight in space.

CubeSats leaving International Space Station. Credits: NASA

Due to operational constrains, the deployment of the satellite from the International Space Station will take place when Andreas Mogensen is back on Earth. The ejection of the CubeSat from the Station is now foreseen for October 2015. Since Andreas will no longer be in space the CubeSat deployment will be done by another astronaut. Andreas might be able to join the student team for the so-called acquisition of signal and early orbit operations if his post-flight calendar allows.