A Sprite-ly Spacecraft

摘要

During an interview at a Boston-area cafe, Zac Manchester apologized for not bringing along a copy of his latest satellite - one of many duplicates due to enter orbit this fall during a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). "Don't worry," says Manchester, a Stanford University professor of aeronautics and astronautics. "I'll put one in an envelope and mail it to you." Even a small envelope would suffice, given that Manchester has created the tiniest satellite yet. The Sprite, as it's called, weighs just 4 grams and measures less than 2 square inches - roughly the size and weight of a standard sugar packet.