Space: February 16, 2001

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One Stop Satellite Solutions (a company based in the US) has signed a contract with Russia to use decommissioned SS-18 Satan heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles to launch satellites. OSSS plans to invent a new kind of tiny satellite which is a cube only 100mm (about 4 inches) on a side and mass produce these, offering to build and launch such a cube-sat for $45,000. The company says these could be used to carry sensors for university research or Internet relays. The military has considered such satellites for communications relays and eavesdropping since they would be a nightmare to track and effectively impossible to shoot down.--Stephen V Cole