cubesat
Cubesats gain broader acceptance for astrophysics missions
As one astronomy cubesat reaches the end of its mission, scientists and NASA officials argue that such spacecraft have demonstrated they can perform useful science often not feasible with larger missions.
Air Force, NRO cubesats fly to International Space Station aboard Northrop Grumman resupply mission
Air Force and NRO cubesats were among many experimental projects encapsulated in the NG-12 Cygnus mission.
NASA cubesat to test lunar Gateway orbit
NASA has awarded a contract to a small business for the development of a cubesat designed to demonstrate the use of the unique orbit planned for the agency’s lunar Gateway.
Spaceflight herded 64 cubesats onto a single Falcon 9 and has the scratch marks to prove it
Large-scale rideshare missions are not without their challenges, both for the launch provider and satellite operators.
Aerospace cubesat produces nighttime imagery
The Aerospace Corp. showed it can capture high resolution nighttime imagery with three cameras that fit inside a single cubesat measuring ten centimeters on a side.
NanoAvionics, KSAT, Antwerp Space raise $11.3 million for Internet of Things constellation
Three European space companies raised 10 million euros ($11.3 million) to start a constellation for Internet of Things connections they would operate on behalf of a still-to-be-determined service provider.
Polish space startup selects Clyde Space as subcontractor for earth observation satellite project
Polish space industry startup KP Labs has awarded an order to Scottish cubesat manufacturer Clyde Space which will act as a subcontractor for the company’s Intuition-1 project
Are small satellites the solution for space weather monitoring?
With key space weather satellites expected to fail before U.S. and European agencies launch replacements, “small satellites may be the only way of averting a bleak future,” said Daniel Baker, director of the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.
MarCO success vindicates use of cubesats on deep space missions
The success a pair of cubesats achieved in relaying telemetry from NASA’s InSight Mars lander demonstrates that such spacecraft can play increasing roles in future deep space missions, spacecraft designers believe.
Is ISIS Space the new space unicorn? Probably not. But you’ve got to like their odds.
In an exhibit hall filled with metal spacecraft components, it was hard to miss the pink unicorn perched on a cubesat at the Innovative Solutions in Space booth.
Kepler, Phasor test flat panel antenna with LEO cubesat
Startups Kepler Communications and Phasor said Sept. 10 that they successfully demonstrated a link between Kepler’s cubesat and a Phasor flat panel antenna.
French IoT company plans $139 million smallsat constellation
French maritime-tracking company CLS is starting a 120 million euro ($139 million) effort to build, launch and operate a constellation of 20 small satellites for connecting Internet of Things devices at sea and elsewhere.
Laser “license plate” could improve identification of cubesats
A technology using a tiny laser tracker could help resolve one of the major challenges involved with the launching of cubesats: identifying individual satellites after their deployment.
More startups are pursuing cubesats with electric thrusters
As concerns grow about orbital debris and the need for space traffic management, cubesats without propulsion have no means to maneuver to avoid collisions or deorbit at the end of their operational lives.
Largest cubesat operators say 25-year deorbit guideline a priority
Planet and Spire, operators of the two largest commercial cubesat constellations in orbit, say they manage their fleets to prevent retired spacecraft from lingering in space beyond internationally accepted guidelines.
