CubeSat is the format of small (ultra-small) artificial Earth satellites for space exploration having a volume of not more than a few liters and a mass of several kilograms. [1] The creation of cubsats was made possible thanks to the development of microminiaturization and nano-technologies and became a mass phenomenon in the 21st century . After the appearance of the kubsat format, an even smaller poksat format (literally pocket ) of several hundred or tens of grams and several centimeters appeared.
Kubsats usually use the CubeSat specification chassis frame and purchased standard accessories — COTS electronics and other components. The CubeSat specifications were developed in 1999 by the California Polytechnic and the Stanford Universities to simplify the creation of ultra-small satellites. Universities developed most of the CubeSat satellites, but large companies, such as Boeing , also designed CubeSat satellites. Also, the CubeSat format is used to create private and amateur satellites, and the poketsat format has made it possible to launch satellites even by private individuals.
The cubsat format made university satellites widespread; for unification and coordination there is a worldwide inter-university program for launching kubsats.
Cubsats have a withdrawal cost of up to several tens of thousands of dollars, and poksats have up to several thousand dollars.
As a rule, cubesat are deduced at once in several (and even up to seven dozen) units either by means of launch vehicles , or from aboard manned and automatic cargo spacecraft and orbital stations . Several companies provide services for putting cubesat into orbit, in particular ISC Kosmotras and Eurokot [2] . For placement on a booster rocket, spacecraft or orbital station, launch and breeding of cubesat, American, Italian, Japanese companies have developed multi-seat platform containers, including those with revolving orbits. Also, for the withdrawal of cubsats, ultra-small launch vehicles - nanocarriers are being developed.
Some cubsats became the first national companions of their countries .
Content
Specifications
The term “CubeSat” refers to nanosatellites that meet the specifications of the standard created under the guidance of Professor Bob Twiggs (Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford) [3] . The basic size of the standard, called "1U", is 10x10x10 cm with a weight of not more than 1.33 kg. Satellites are launched using various dispensers, for example, Poly-PicoSatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD) [4] . The standard allows the combination of 2 or 3 standard cubes as part of a single satellite (designated 2U and 3U and have a size of 10x10x10 or 10x10x10 cm). One P-POD is large enough to launch three satellites 10x10x10 cm or less, with a total size of not more than 3U [5] .
For 2004, satellites in the CubeSat format could be manufactured and launched into low Earth orbit for 65-80 thousand dollars [6] . For 2012, the typical cost of launching CubeSat was estimated at 40 thousand dollars (sometimes reaching 80 as well, although NASA announced the possibility of launching for 20 thousand) [7] . Several poksats can be assembled and launched in a container place and at the price of one cubsat, that is, for several thousand dollars each. Such a low cost and unification of platforms and components allows the development and launch of kubsats to universities and even schools, small private companies and amateur associations, and poksats to private individuals.
Most CubeSat have one or two scientific instruments, some have small retractable antennas and surface or expandable solar panels.
See also
- AMSAT
- OSCAR (spacecraft series)
- UCISAT
Notes
- ↑ CubeSat Design Specification Rev. 12 (inaccessible link) . California State Polytechnic University . Date of treatment October 16, 2010. Archived on August 25, 2012.
- ↑ Jos Heyman. FOCUS: CubeSats - A Costing + Pricing Challenge . SatMagazine (2009). Date of treatment December 30, 2009. Archived on August 25, 2012.
- ↑ Satellite pioneer joins Morehead State's space science faculty (link unavailable) . Date of treatment August 17, 2011. Archived on August 25, 2012.
- ↑ Educational Payload on the Vega Maiden Flight - Call For CubeSat Proposals . European Space Agency (2008). Date of treatment December 7, 2008. Archived on August 25, 2012.
- ↑ Matthew Richard Crook. NPS CubeSat Launcher Design, Process And Requirements . Naval Postgraduate School (2009). Date of treatment December 30, 2009. Archived on August 25, 2012.
- ↑ Leonard David. Cubesats: Tiny Spacecraft, Huge Payoffs unopened . Space.com (2004). Date of treatment December 7, 2008. Archived on August 25, 2012.
- ↑ Personal space , Economist (Sep 19th 2012). Date of treatment January 14, 2014.
Links
- CubeSat Program Website
- Cubesat Mission List
- MINIATURE SATELLITES OF THE CUBESAT STANDARD . D.A. Khramov. // ISSN 1561 8889. Cosmic science and technology. 2009. V. 15. No. 3. P. 20-31.
- An article about CubeSat and the prospects for using the platform on the Cosmos Magazine website