First microsatellite by Chinese, Russian university students launched

A microsatellite jointly developed by Chinese and Russian universities was successfully launched on Tuesday morning from Blagoveshchensk, Russia, representing a significant step in international academic collaboration.

Weighing approximately 15.7 kilograms, the CubeSat will serve multiple purposes, including verifying micro-nano satellite technology, supporting amateur radio technology experiments and enhancing space science education, according to the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), one of the primary developers.

The project brings together resources from Chinese and Russian universities, including HIT, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Amur State University and Bauman Moscow State Technical University. This initiative aims to promote higher-education cooperation and foster cultural exchange between the youth of both nations.

According to Cao Jian, deputy director of HIT's international cooperation department, the satellite was primarily developed by students, with more than 50 students involved in various stages of the project, most of whom were undergraduates when they joined. The HIT-led student team had substantial independence in project management and technical decisions, supported by university-provided resources and expert faculty advisors.

"The school provided us with an experienced team of faculty advisors, ample experimental resources, research and development funding, and granted our student team full autonomy over technical decisions, command, and management," said Zhang Jiyao, a doctoral student at the School of Astronautics at HIT and a research team member.

For students like Fang Kangbo, an undergraduate at the School of Electronic and Information Technology, the project provided hands-on experience directly linked to classroom theory.

"Standing at the launch site, counting down to liftoff, I felt like the theories I'd learned in class were coming to life," said Fang, "This semester, I started studying communication principles. During the launch, we ensured each command was transmitted and executed precisely, and the telemetry data we received reflected the satellite's status. From countdown to orbit, the communication system was vital at every stage."