Alpha’s mission sends the first holographic images to space, tests tiny ChipSat technology, demonstrates one of the smallest—and first free-flying—light sail designs, and proves that low-cost light sailing is a possible path for a variety of future missions.

Ad astra, Alpha Cubesat ✨

This video from the International Space Station on December 2nd shows four CubeSats (small cube-shaped spacecraft), one of which is Alpha, holding its light sail inside. Tumbling through space at thousands of miles per hour, Alpha sent radio signals soon after launch… then fell silent.

If alien life fluoresces at the same wavelengths we’re familiar with—and if clouds don’t block too much of our view—then with upcoming telescopes like the Habitable Worlds Observatory, it may be challenging, but possible, to find glow-in-the-dark signs of life on small, rocky exoplanets!

Happy Halloween! ✨ 👻 🎃 Jack-o’-lanterns aren’t the only signs of life that glow in the dark. Some organisms on Earth do, too. Would a distant planet full of glow-in-the-dark aliens be detectable to our telescopes? 🔭