Check this out, if you are interested in launching your own CubeSat into orbit, look no further than this kit:

The 10x10x10cm, 1kg CubeSat standard has evolved to become the basis for one of the most widely accepted families of nanosatellite designs. Originally proposed by Professor Bob Twiggs at Stanford University, it and its companion P-POD deployer were later developed in conjunction with Professor Jordi Puig-Suari at California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo. Despite its emphasis on simplicity and low costs, the CubeSat standard address all the critical issues required for a successful mission, from the external mechanical dimensions of the nanosatellite, to the CubeSat-specific P-POD launcher, to test and integration procedures, etc.

So what do you get in your CubeSat kit?

Conforming fully to the CubeSat specification, the CubeSat Kit is an affordable off-the-shelf hardware and software development and deployment solution that includes:

• Complete, finished and ready-for-launch CubeSat structure with high strength, low mass, and exceptionally large internal volume
• TI MSP430-based ultra-low-power electronics with bus-based expansion, with Flash emulation tool (FET) for programming and debugging
• Both a Development Board for in-lab development and testing, and a separate FM430 Flight Module for the actual Flight Model
• Plug-in modem / transceiver support and built-in USB
• Pumpkin’s multitasking Salvo Pro RTOS software
• HCC-Embedded‘s EFFS-THIN FAT file system for use with the CubeSat Kit’s SD card socket
• Example projects, code and software libraries
• Power supplies and tools

All you need is a PC and an MSP430 C compiler certified for use with the CubeSat Kit to begin work …

Sounds great, but how much does it cost? According to the pricelist, you are looking at a starting price of $6000 to get going in the exciting world of CubeSats. Not cheap, but I suppose it might be worth it since they claim that their design has successfully flown into space.

Found at ladyada’s ranting.