Satellites are often thought of as
huge complicated devices that are deployed on the tops of rockets or in space
shuttle payloads. They hold massive telescopes, sophisticated weather monitoring
devices or global positioning system components. The price tag for large satellites is often
measured in billions, not millions.
CubeSats are different. They’re smaller - think volleyball, not
Volkswagen - and they’re cheaper.
NASA describes a
CubeSat as a “low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and
technology demonstrations in space, thus enabling students, teachers, and
faculty to obtain hands-on flight hardware development experience.” The cost of these nanosatellites is
small enough to fit into many school budgets. CubeSats are built to investigate
areas of scientific interest such as the earth’s atmosphere, space
weather, in-space propulsion, radiation testing, and communication, to name a
few. Satellites are selected based on their investigations and how they align
with NASA’s strategic plan.
One area of CubeSat research at the
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
is to expand from one small satellite to a swarm of small satellites working together.
This has the potential to multiply the impact and effectiveness of a single
CubeSat.
“Sometimes you want t...