INPEIllustration of NanosatC-BR1: scientific mission, teaching aid, and cheap option for data collectionINPE
As it orbits the Earth at an altitude of 600 kilometers, Brazil’s first nanosatellite has been communicating its position since June 19, 2014. The satellite, called NanosatC-BR1, weighs less than a kilogram and was designed in the CubeSat format. The cube-shaped device was launched from the Yasny launch base by Dnepr, a Russian rocket, along with 30 similar satellites of various nationalities. Brazil’s first CubeSat was developed by researchers at the Southern Regional Center of the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) and at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The main scientific mission of the Brazilian CubeSat is to use a sensor called a magnetometer to study the Earth’s magnetic field and its interaction with a part of the radiation from the sun and stars that can affect communications, GPS signals, and electricity distribution networks. NanosatC-BR1 will also perform in loco testing on the first two integrated circuits designed in Brazil for use in space (see Pesquisa FAPESP Issue No. 219). In addition to serving as educational aids, nanosatellites are becoming a cheap option for collecting data from space.
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