The University of Alberta’s Ex-Alta 1 satellite designed and built by students was launched into orbit early Friday.
After multiple delays, the satellite was deployed from the International Space Station at 2:55 a.m. The satellite initially reached the space station on April 18, where it was tuned up before it reached its final destination.
The Ex-Alta 1 is a cube satellite – roughly the size of a shoe box – part of a mission called QB50.
The U of A, alongside another 38 universities around the world, is part of QB50 to study space weather.
"This is to get a better understanding of this region. It's hasn't been very well studied thus far because there's still some lingering atmosphere at the altitudes in lower orbit between 200 and 800 kilometres,"Ex-Alta 1 project manager Charles Nokes said.
The orbit will be in space for one to two years.
