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Illinois Professor Collaborates with NASA on Revolutionary CubeSat Boom

1/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Illinois professor Xin Ning has teamed up with NASA to create an innovative, feather-light carbon fiber boom for a Virginia Tech CubeSat. At just 20 grams and 156 micrometers thick, it unfurls like a tape measure. Scheduled for launch in 2025, this project will also feature sensors to track deployment, paving the way for more resilient flexible electronics in the cosmos.

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Story summary

Illinois professor Xin Ning has teamed up with NASA to create an innovative, feather-light carbon fiber boom for a Virginia Tech CubeSat. At just 20 grams and 156 micrometers thick, it unfurls like a tape measure. Scheduled for launch in 2025, this project will also feature sensors to track deployment, paving the way for more resilient flexible electronics in the cosmos.