LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)—Students from UL-Lafayette will be one of four universities in the U.S. whose student-built satellite will be launched into orbit, according to the university.

The miniature satellite will be launched for free by United Launch Alliance into orbit which will range from 125 miles to 21,700 miles from earth.

Students from the college will construct a CubeSat, a satellite which can weigh up to 2.9 pounds used to explore new space technologies and perform scientific research.

According to Dr. Paul Darby, an assistant professor in UL-Lafayette’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, the student’s CubeSat will gather data about matter expelled from the sun during solar flares. The satellite will also collect data from other sun-related activity.

Dr. Darby added that he estimates the cost of launching the satellite at about $100,000 had the university not been able to book a ride on Atlas IV’s Mission.

The satellite is scheduled to go into orbit in late fall of 2018.

For more information on this project, click here.