[SatNews] A satellite containing hardware designed and built in Kentucky launched into orbit on a Russian rocket on Wednesday.

According to a news release from Kentucky Space, the EduSat satellite was launched in Russia. Components in the satellite were built by the Morehead State University Space Science Center and Kentucky Space. The satellite was built at the University of Rome, a partner in the creation and control of the satellite. EduSat will be controlled by Morehead students from the lead Kentucky Space on-orbit ground operations facility at the university.

During its first 30 days in orbit, EduSat will test a new type of orbital deployer designed to release numerous smaller satellites called PocketQubs, invented by Bob Twiggs, former director of the Space Systems Development Lab at Stanford University and now a professor at Morehead State. Dr. Ben Malphrus, chairman of Morehead's Department of Earth and Space Sciences and operations director at Kentucky Space, was at the launch site in Russia.

Kentucky Space, a non-profit enterprise, collaborates with Morehead State, the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Community and Technical College to research and develop educational and entrepreneurial space technology.