NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative Deploys 150th from Space Station

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station observed the release of eight CubeSats into low-Earth orbit Dec. 29, marking the 150th deployment for NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative.

Four of the eight CubeSats, part of an educational launch satellite mission, include:

• MARIO from the University of Michigan
• petitSat from NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center
• SPORT from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
• TJREVERB from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Sciences and Technology were shot into orbit via the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer System.

Acquisition of signal was quickly achieved from both SPORT and MARIO, which transmission read: “Its-a-me, Mario!”

ELaNa 49 launched on NASA’s 26th commercial resupply services mission on Nov. 26. ELaNa, or the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites, was created by NASA to attract and retain students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.

Image credit: Nanoracks