Satellite gives students high-level lessons

A minisatellite designed and assembled by a Chinese space startup, Commsat Technology Development Co, blasted off on Friday afternoon, which the designers say will enable thousands of students to track and help control the spacecraft.

The 3-kilogram CubeSat, named Young Pioneer I, was launched atop a Long March 2D carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China along with six other satellites.

The miniature spacecraft has a designed life span of a year in a sun-synchronous orbit and when its batteries are expended, it will burn up on re-entry into the atmosphere, said Xie Tao, founder and CEO of Commsat.