cubesat
NASA cubesat bumped from rideshare launch because of orbital debris mitigation concerns
A NASA cubesat was removed from a recent rideshare launch opportunity on a U.S. Space Force mission because the spacecraft could not meet guidelines for deorbiting at the end of its life.
First cubesat completed for NASA space science constellation
The Space Dynamics Laboratory has completed the first of a constellation of cubesats for NASA that will act as a giant radio telescope in space to study space weather.
Space experiment to push standardization in small satellites
An experiment scheduled to launch this fall on Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket will try to show a faster and cheaper way for the space industry to test technologies on orbit.
CAPSTONE lunar cubesat mission to launch this spring
A cubesat mission to test a lunar orbit critical to NASA’s Artemis program is in the final stages of preparations for a launch this spring.
Rocket Lab to launch Finnish cubesat
A Finnish cubesat designed to test satellite deorbiting technologies will launch on a Rocket Lab Electron after delays with its original launch on a Momentus tug.
Missile Defense Agency confirms deployment of cubesats launched by Virgin Orbit
Two Missile Defense Agency cubesats launched June 30 on Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne successfully began communicating with ground stations last week, the agency announced July 12.
Arianespace offers free launch to deserving cubesat
The winner of the "Destination: A Better Life on Earth" competition will win integration and launch services aboard a future Arianespace rideshare mission offering one of the two new services.
Spire adding cross links to cubesat constellation
Spire Global will launch its first cubesats with cross links over the next few months, beginning a refresh that will eventually replace its full constellation.
MarCO shows interplanetary cubesats possible but not easy
NASA’s MarCO mission showed that interplanetary cubesat missions, while possible, are anything but easy.
Cubesat demonstrates Earth science instrument
A cubesat launched earlier this year has successfully tested a version of an instrument that will fly on a larger NASA mission in development.
Flying cubesats from home: Pandemic accelerates trend toward remote operations
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted cubesat operators across the country to abandon mission operations centers in favor of living rooms and kitchen tables.
Millennium Space delivers smallsat for upcoming U.S. Space Force rideshare mission
Called Tetra-1, the microsatellite was the first project awarded in 2018 by the Space Enterprise Consortium.
Kepler’s decision to build its own cubesats surprises manufacturers
It came as a surprise to many cubesat manufacturers when Kepler Communications announced plans in January to manufacture its constellation of 140 Internet of Things satellites in-house.
Rocket Lab wins contract to launch NASA lunar cubesat mission
NASA awarded a contract to Rocket Lab Feb. 14 for the launch of a cubesat mission that will serve as a precursor for the agency’s planned lunar Gateway.
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.
