[SatNews] Austria will launch its first satellites into space next year.

The satellites will be used to measure variations in the brilliance of stars, a project leader from the Technical University (TU) of Graz announced last week.The two cube-shaped satellites, each measuring 20 centimetres (eight inches) per side and weighing seven kilograms (15 pounds), are part of a joint project with Canada and Poland entitled "BRITE" (Bright Target Explorer). Developed by TU Graz and the Technical University of Vienna, in collaboration with the University of Toronto in Canada, the two mini-satellites will measure the light intensity of stars with more precision than was possible until now. This could help explain how stars are formed and reveal further clues about the history of the universe, he explained.

The Austrian satellites will be launched aboard an Indian rocket in late July, although a clear date as not yet been set. Four further satellites — two from Poland and two from Canada — will follow in 2012. Ground control stations in Graz and Vienna, as well as compatible stations in Poland and Canada, will download data from the satellites. The satellites' life expectancy is estimated at two years, but they could survive longer, as well.