The Multipurpose Mini-satellite was developed by students from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. M-Cubed-2/COVE’s mission is to obtain mid-resolution color imagery of Earth’s surface and to carry the JPL/Caltech-developed CubeSat On-board processing Validation Experiment (COVE). COVE will advance technology required for real-time, high-datarate instrument processing relevant to future Earth science missions. It is a re-flight after the original M-Cubed unintentionally became attached to another cubesat shortly after launch, losing the ability to transmit in the process.
Launched by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative on the ELaNa II mission as an auxiliary payload aboard the NROL-39 Mission on December 6, 2013.
Image Credit: University of Michigan