Set of NanoRacks CubeSats Deployed From International Space Station

The Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD), in the grasp of the Kibo laboratory robotic arm, is photographed by an Expedition 38 crew member on the International Space Station as it deploys a set of NanoRacks CubeSats.

The CubeSats program contains a variety of experiments such as Earth observations and advanced electronics testing. 

Station solar array panels, Earth’s horizon and the blackness of space provide the backdrop for the scene.

Image Credit: NASA

Kibo lab SSOD Releases Cubesats From Space Station

Three nanosatellites, known as Cubesats, are deployed from a Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) attached to the Kibo laboratory’s robotic arm at 7:10 a.m. (EST) on Nov. 19, 2013. 

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 38 flight engineer, monitored the satellite deployment while operating the Japanese robotic arm from inside Kibo. 

The Cubesats were delivered to the International Space Station Aug. 9, aboard Japan’s fourth H-II Transfer Vehicle, Kounotori-4. 

Image Credit: NASA