A cube satellite is a standardized
miniature satellite, widely used for simpler tasks that require orbital
position, as well as for engineering project and research. Due to standardized dimensions
and small size, cube sats, as they are also known, are much more affordable than regular big satellites
Detailed Definition:
CubeSats is a
class of miniaturized satellite that weight less than 2kg and are usually
shaped as a 10cm cube (10cm is referred to as 1U). They are put into orbit by
ISS or launched as secondary payload. As of end of 2021, more than 1600 of them
have been launched. Cube sats are usually used for experiments that involve hardware
which can be miniaturized, like earth observation, amateur radio or research
projects. They are also used to demonstrate spacecraft technologies that are
either designed for a small satellites or are too expensive or uncertain to
safely involve them into a regular size satellite.
Etymology:
Cube – Greek - (kybos) a six-sided die
Sat – Latin – (satelles) attendant
Sample Sentence(s):
"CubeSats are employed
to demonstrate spacecraft technologies."
"Like
larger satellites, CubeSats often feature multiple computers handling different
tasks in parallel including the attitude control."
