CubeSats: Changing Space Exploration

The thing about CubeSats that really stands out is their ability to carry out diverse missions in space.

For example, CubeSats can be ejected from the International Space Station (up to six at a time), deployed directly from a rocket or shot out of a spacecraft, depending on the mission.

The cube-shaped satellites measure about 4 inches on each side, have a volume of about 1 quart and weigh less than 3 pounds per unit (U). CubeSats can also be combined and built to standard dimensions of 1U, 2U, 3U, 6U, etc. for configurations about the size of a loaf of bread, large shoebox, microwave and more.

For the past 15 years, CubeSats have paved the way to low-Earth orbit for commercial companies, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. These small satellites offer opportunities to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space in such a way that is cost-effective, timely and relatively easy to accomplish.

Many feel that CubeSats are transforming the future of space discovery and education. Scientists, like those from NASA, are increasingly using CubeSats to look out at space — searching for water ice on the dark side of the moon, hunting for extrasolar planets that might be habitable, and exploring deep space.

And they're also looking back at Earth and assisting farmers in preventing crop damage and increasing yield.

CubeSats further provide a complementary connectivity solution to the pervasive Internet of Things (IoT) networks, leading to a globally connected cyber-physical system. Several future research directions for CubeSat communications, including Internet of space things, low-power long-range networks, and machine learning for CubeSat resource allocation.

CubeSat constellation launches are also expected to increase. A constellation of small satellites can considerably decrease the revisit time (defined as the time elapsed between two consecutive observations of the same point on Earth by a satellite) over remote areas, by increasing the number of spacecraft properly distributed in orbit.

This allows collecting as much data as possible for the use by Disaster Management Centers.?

Want to learn more? Tonex offers Introductions to CubeSat, a 2-day course covering the basic concepts and processes for CubeSat analysis, design and developments. Participants will learn about the CubeSats or miniature satellites that have been used exclusively in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and can be used for exploring and interplanetary missions.?

Please contact us for more information.?