The Wikipedia article on CubeSats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CubeSat) has a very nice summary of why they are the present and future of the small satellite industry:
"The CubeSat specification accomplishes several high-level goals. Simplification of the satellite's infrastructure makes it possible to design and produce a workable satellite at low cost. Encapsulation of the launcher–payload interface takes away the prohibitive amount of managerial work that would previously be required for mating a piggyback satellite with its launcher. Unification among payloads and launchers enables quick exchanges of payloads and utilization of launch opportunities on short notice."
I've noticed from reading this board's current posts and archives that there is a bias against CubeSats from some due to a belief that they are somehow inherently limited in capability, unreliable, and short lived, but there is nothing inherent in the CubeSat format that makes it that way, it's simply a standardized way to build a satellite.
73,
Paul, N8HM
On Fri, Aug 1, 2014 at 1:01 PM, John Becker w0jab@big-river.net wrote:
Can some explain to me and others the big deal about cube sats? I just dont get it.
John
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