A SCOTTISH space company the founder started in his bedroom is poised to launch the world's first "pocket-sized satellite" into orbit.

The historic launch of Unicorn-2 – "an Irn-Bru-sized satellite" known as a PocketQube – by Glasgow space start-up Alba Orbital is now scheduled for this summer, although the exact date is still under wraps due to commercial sensitivities.

Previously PocketQube's launches have been made on a "mothership", or attached to a larger launch vehicle, which restricts the choice of destination and launch schedule.

However Alba has now teamed up with Vector, a nanosatellite launch company, which is planning to launch using a stand-alone deployer called the AlbaPod – which fires the satellite into orbit after launch – also developed by the Scottish company.

It is claimed it will be a watershed moment for both Vector and Alba, as its first orbital launch attempt and the world's first PocketQube-dedicated launch. If this launch is a success Vector is also planning to launch other small satellites later this year.

Tom Walkinshaw, co-founder of Alba, said: "It's a major milestone for Alba Orbital, it marks our first orbital launch attempt. We are flying AlbaPod and Unicorn-2 for the first time and this will allow us to significantly grow our business, demonstrating we can broker, build, integrate and operate very small advanced spacecraft."

Business development manager Andrew Paliwoda added: "The Unicorn 2 is the size of a bottle of Irn-Bru. Before that [satellites] were the size of a bus."

He claimed the satellite had many applications, including detailed earth imaging of everything from traffic to oil production and encrypted communications. "The launch date looks likely to be at the end of the summer," he added. "That's what we are working towards at the moment. The next stage would be to work towards regular launches."

Due to the relatively low cost, simultaneous multiple launches are also within the company's sights.

Jim Cantrell, chief executive and co-founder of Vector, agreed the test flight was groundbreaking. "The PocketQube movement in the satellite industry is a perfect example of how entrepreneurs are coming together to remove as many barriers as possible for those looking to get into space," he said. "We are excited to have Alba Orbital onboard as our first orbital customer and excited to be launching the world's first PocketQube exclusive launch."

Malcolm Macdonald, director of Strathclyde University's Scottish Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications, agreed that the launch was significant for Alba and the development of the PocketQube satellite.

"However, the broader significance remains to be determined," he added, claiming that it has taken 10 years for people to accept the scientific and commercial value of its predecessor, the larger CubeSats.

He added: "The CubeSat is not a ‘big spacecraft’ killer, it is part of a toolkit of options that when used correctly complements these larger, more expensive spacecraft. It is likely that PocketCubes can find a similar niche."

But he claimed that it was an important part of the success story of the Scottish space industry, which has expertise in gathering earth monitoring date from space. "We also have a strong academic sector that can support and promote innovation, and together with the established companies [it] provides a pipeline of spin-out companies to take on the next novel idea," he said.

The PocketQube satellite can be used to:

1. Monitor the number of cars in supermarket car parks to determine how busy they are, allowing estimates of sales which affect share price

2. Forecast oil production by monitoring oil reservoirs from space

3. Find evidence of illegal fishing, mining and logging

4. Monitor migration trends: could save lives in the Mediterranean but also could be used to secure borders

5. Pick up and safely store flood data