(JNS.org) Israel launched its first nanosatellite, “BGUSAT,” earlier this week as part of an academic initiative by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev that allows researchers to study climate change as well as agricultural and other scientific phenomena. “BGUSAT is an important and affordable new tool to facilitate space engineering and research,” said Prof. Dan Blumberg, vice president and dean for research and development at Ben-Gurion University. “The reduced costs allow academia to assume a much more active role in the field, taking advantage of the innovation and initiative of researchers and students.”

The nanosatellite, which is only slightly larger than a milk cartoon, comes outfitted with visual and short wavelength infrared camera, and will hover at 300 miles above the Earth’s surface. This will allow researchers to study a broad array of environmental phenomena, such as being able to track atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide and study the Earth’s airglow layer, which provides information about climate change. BGUSAT can change its angle and obtain views from multiple orbits and positions, something that larger satellites that orbit higher and weather balloons or planes, which fly too low, cannot do.