On 27 January 2015, scientists from the National Central University of Taiwan, Province of China, announced the release of the world’s most compact and precise advanced ionospheric probe (AIP).
The AIP will be installed on the FORMOSAT-5 optical remote-sensing satellite and will be used to enhance weather and earthquake forecasting services.
The so-called "Cosmic Cube" is capable of measuring enormous cosmic powers with its only 10cm3 in size and 4 kg of weight.
The AIP's incredible characteristics makes it -0.6 kg lighter than existing ion velocity meter.
Due to its ability to capture 8,192 ions with positive electrical charges per second, the probe can be used for forecasting earthquakes, which are usually preceded by a phenomenon involving fluctuations in ion concentration levels during the 24 hours to 10 days before hitting an area.
