CubeSat
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A CubeSat is a type of space research picosatellite with dimensions of 10×10×10 centimetres (i.e., a volume of exactly one litre), weighing no more than one kilogram, and typically using commercial off-the-shelf electronics components.
Currently, a large number of universities and some companies and other organizations around the world are actively developing CubeSats [link]. With their relatively small size, CubeSats can be made and launched for an estimated US$65,000–80,000 a piece (2004 US dollars). This low price tag, as compared to most satellite launches, has made Cubesat a viable option for schools and universities across the world. Most CubeSats carry one or two scientific instruments as their primary mission payload. A few CubeSat projects have a limited propulsion system; for example, the CubeSat project of the University of Illinois uses an array of small ion thrusters.
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Launch history
2003
On 30 June 2003, five university CubeSats and one commercial CubeSat were launched on a Rockot rocket from Russia’s Plesetsk launch site. The launch was executed by Eurockot Launch Services GmbH of Bremen, Germany. The CubeSats on board were:
- Aalborg University's AAU CubeSat
- Quakefinder's Quakesat
- Technical University of Denmark's DTUsat
- Tokyo Institute of Technology's CUTE-I
- University of Tokyo's XI-IV
- University of Toronto's CanX-1
2005
On 27 October 2005, a Kosmos-3M launch vehicle launched from Plesetsk carried three CubeSats into orbit on the SSETI Express mission. The CubeSats on board were:- Norwegian University of Science and Technology's NCUBE2
- University of Tokyo's XI-V
- University of Wurzburg's UWE-1
2006
On 21 February 2006, a M-V launch vehicle launched from Uchinoura, Japan carried a single CubeSat into orbit, namely:Future Launches
- 14 Cubesats from 10 universities, as well as a private company, are planned to be launched aboard a DNEPR Rocket. California Polytechnic State University has been handling the details. This launch has been postponed numerous times due to the primary payload, EgyptSat-1, not being ready. The current launch date July 26, 2006.
- Seven Cubesats will be launched as a secondary payload on a DNEPR rocket on a currently unspecified day in 2006. This launch has been planned for a long time now, to be the second launch by Cal Poly.
- Hokkaido Institute of Technology's HIT-SAT is to be launched in 2006 by M-V with SOLAR-B as the primary payload and SSSAT as another subpayload.
- Edusat is a enthusiast project will be build and launched in 2 years.
Current running projects
A number of CubeSat project are running in different universities currently. Some of them are:- Delfi-C3 by Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands : It is a 3-unit CubeSat 10x10x30 centimeters
- AAUSAT-II by Aalborg University, Denmark
- AubieSat-1 by Auburn University, U.S.
- Compass One by Fachhochschule Aachen, Germany
- DTUsat-2 by Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
- Rincon 1 by University of Arizona, U.S.
- SACRED by University of Arizona, U.S.
- CAPE-1 by University of Louisiana at Lafayette, U.S.
- CASsat jointly by University of Sydney and University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
- PolySat by California Polytechnic State University, U.S.
- SwissCube by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland
- MEROPE by Montana State University, Space Science and Engineering Laboratory
See also
AMSATReferences
External links
- [CubeSat Program official website]
- [Edusat Project]
- [Extensive list of Cubesat missions]
- [Delft University of Technology CubeSat project]
- [Aalborg University second CubeSat project]
- [Amsat's list of CubeSats] Generally kept well up to date
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