cubesat
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.
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.
