LORIS, a shoebox-sized nanosatellite designed and built by students in the Dalhousie Space Systems Lab over the past several years, was finally released last Thursday (Dec. 29) by NASA after its ascent to the International Space Station late last fall. The student team, led by Engineering Masters student Arad Gharagozli, created the satellite as part of Canada's CubeSat program. A CubeSat is a miniature satellite that can be used for various purposes, including taking imagery, conducting experiments, and supporting educational projects. LORIS is the first CubeSat from Atlantic Canada to be sent into orbit. It is one of more than a dozen such rigs being launched as part of the Canada Space Agency-funded program. Now that it's in orbit, LORIS — which stands for low-orbit reconnaissance imagery satellite — will aim to provide a window for researchers into how certain technologies function while in space. It will also collect aerial images of Earth and Halifax.