New flock of microsatellites in orbit

A Dnepr rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan has put the latest flock of small spacecraft in orbit. They include the three-body MAST tether experiment and Boeing's CubeSat TestBed 1 (CSTB1) spacecraft. The aerospace giant is operating one of the world's smallest satellites, a bit of a departure for a firm specializing in gigantic GEO communications satellites. The 1-kg satellite is a product of Boeing's new Engineering Development Center in Huntington Beach, CA. Scott MacGillivray, manager of Boeing Nano-Satellite Programs, says, "These satellites can quickly and inexpensively test miniature, low-power components and subsystems to help reduce the power requirements and weight of larger satellites."