Canada’s MARMOTSat Soars to Study Ionosphere | Vancouver News

A Canadian shoebox-sized satellite, MARMOTSat, is set to blast off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 ride-share mission, marking a major leap for University of Victoria’s aerospace team. Designed as an open-source radio platform to empower global amateur operators and lower entry costs, it also studies how climate change is altering the ionosphere — a critical layer for radio signals. Named after the endangered Vancouver Island marmot, the mission highlights West Coast Canadian innovation, with plans for a third satellite in 2027 targeting Arctic communications. Lead designer Blake Baldwin, who helped launch the previous ORCASat, is flying to California to witness the liftoff — a dream fulfilled for a young engineer passionate about space and a proud step forward for Canadian satellite tech. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7e7d48e70ebae871