NanoRacks to Launch 15 Cubesats for Nationwide Canadian Project

Electrical engineering student at the University of Alberta, building the Ex-Alta 1 CubeSat as part of the university’s participation in the QB50 mission. Photo Credit: Charles Nokes, University of Alberta

NanoRacks has been awarded the launch services and deployment contract for the Canadian CubeSat Project — a nationwide small satellite development program sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The project provides funding to post-secondary institutions in Canada as part of a challenge to design, build, launch, and operate their own satellites, which will be deployed from the International Space Station (ISS). The contract is for the launch and deployment of up to 15 Cubesats, totaling 33U of deployment volume, representing each Canadian province and territory.

CSA and NanoRacks will provide guidance to the professors and students to foster mission success and teach students about all aspects of launching a small spacecraft — from technology development to communicating their work to the public.

NanoRacks deployed the first-ever Canadian Cubesat from the ISS, ExAlta-1, from the University of Alberta in May 2017, as a part of the QB50 Mission.

NanoRacks and CSA are targeting two separate launch opportunities for these Cubesats in 2020 and 2021.