With the rise of cube satellites, the cost of putting a research-capable craft into space has become more affordable. Startup company NanoSatisfi plans to launch its first cube satellite on August 4, allowing anyone to rent time and conduct their own experiments on it for as low as $250 per week.

 

To date, 10 schools have registered for the company’s pilot program and NASA has partnered with NanoSatisfi to conduct research and educational outreach. The company has created software that will assist users through the process of setting up experiments and understanding the data.

As NanoSatisfi launches more cube satellites, it hopes to gather enough detailed data to sell information on weather patterns, track natural disasters, and support agricultural planning and development.