Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: "ArduSat, the first open source microsatellite, accessible platform with open access to the public!"

“Just imagine: you could be at the helm of a machine that flies away over the horizon at over 18 times the speed of sound, detects meteors vaporizing in the skies over Europe, photographs the sunset over the horn of Africa, maps the Earth's magnetic field cruising over the Indian Ocean, snaps a picture of the Southern Lights dancing underneath off the coast of Australia, samples the upper atmosphere for biomarkers and other signs of life, flies effortlessly over a hurricane to look straight down its eye, maps the emitted spectrum of the sun, and is back over your head in an hour and half. And you can do all of that starting at $325. The ArduSat is a standard microsatellite based off the Calpoly CubeSat standard, relying on off-the-shelf technology and space-proven components. The key innovation, however, is the architecture of the payload: it carries a suite of over 25 unique sensors and a purpose built payload computer based off the ubiquitous Arduino standard, which enables anyone to easily write their own code and use the satellite. By supporting an open-source, accessible platform with reliable space hardware, the satellite removed the technical barriers to spaceflight and gives affordable access to space exploration to everyone, even those without a space background. The ArduSat project is currently featured on Kickstarter, where it is raises funds to upgrade the performance of satellite with better sensors and cameras. By supporting the project now, you would not only be preordering a slot as one of the first to use the system, but would be making the satellite more advanced and capable of better applications and experiments when it launches. Support the project now and join the DIY space revolution that has made headlines with Engaget, DVICE, Citizen Scientists League, UK Guardian, the Space Fellowship, and more!”