Question: The name of the world’s small spacecraft launched in June, 2017, is –
(a) Sprite
(b) Bright
(c) Kite
(d) Flight
Answer- (a)
Related facts:
- On June 23, 2017, six spacecrafts of the “Breakthrough-Starshot” project were launched into low-Earth orbit.
- The world’s smallest spacecraft has been named ‘Sprites’.
- These spacecraft was attached to Italy’s satellite ‘Max Valier’ and Latvia’s satellite Venta-1launched by ISRO’s PSLV-C38.
- Weighing only 4 grams, each spacecraft has measurement of 3.5 cm × 3.5 cm (length x width).
- Despite their small size, they are still able to pack in solar panels, computers, sensors, and radios. etc.
- Significantly, the Breakthrough Starshot program is a $ 100 million research and engineering program announced funded by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner.
- It is notable that an ambitious, decades-long project was announced in April 2016 by Stephen Hawking and Russian physicist and venture capitalist Yuri Milner.
Reference:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jul/28/breakthrough-starshot-successfully-launch-worlds-smallest-spacecraft
http://www.iflscience.com/space/the-worlds-smallest-spacecraft-has-been-launched-into-orbit/
http://www.businessinsider.in/A-Russian-billionaire-has-launched-the-smallest-ever-spacecraft-into-orbit-a-key-step-to-reaching-a-nearby-star-system/articleshow/59781746.cms
https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/26/smallest-spacecraft-ever-launched-make-it-to-low-earth-orbit/