Because they're so small and light, it costs much less to get a CubeSat into Earth's orbit than a traditional communications or GPS satellite.

由于立方体卫星体积小、重量轻，将它们送入地球轨道的成本比传统通信或GPS卫星要低得多。

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The satellite bounces laser light off the ground, allowing researchers to measure the terrain with extraordinary precision.

这颗卫星利用地面对激光的反射，让研究人员以极高的精度测量地形。

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The length of time the lidar’s light pulse takes to return to the satellite provides information about where the clouds or particles are in the atmosphere.

激光雷达的光脉冲返回卫星所消耗的时间提供了大气中云或者粒子的位置信息。

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Peering upwards looking for a flitter of action, the only movement was the pin prick of light from a satellite as it tracked across the starry sky.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Scotland | Highlands and Islands | Seeking 'a wet slap' in the dark

Still, some fishermen enjoy navigating by light rather than satellite.

ECONOMIST: Where majesty and memory watch over the waves

Together, these researchers have found a way to measure the amount of light pollution around using satellite data, thereby creating the world's first atlas of light and darkness.

ECONOMIST: Going, going, nearly gone