First microsatellite developed by China, Russia college students launched

HARBIN -- On Tuesday morning, a microsatellite, the first of its type jointly developed by Chinese and Russian universities, was successfully launched from the city of Blagoveshchensk, Russia, according to its developer.

The CubeSat, a miniature satellite weighing about 15.7 kg, will be used for the verification of micro-nano satellite technology, amateur experiments of radio technology, and space science education, according to the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), based in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

The microsatellite project aims to integrate higher-education resources of both countries and encourage cultural exchanges between their youth. Chinese and Russian universities, including HIT, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Amur State University and Bauman Moscow State Technical University, participated in the project.

According to Cao Jian, deputy director of the international cooperation department of HIT, the satellite was developed by students from both countries. The project is led by a team from an HIT student club, and about 50 students have been engaged, with more than 60 percent being undergraduates during their initial participation.

"The university has provided us with experienced faculty advisors, and experimental facilities and development funding, as well as giving us technical and project management independence," said Zhang Jiyao, a doctoral student of the School of Astronautics of HIT and a member of the experiment team.