The intent of this email is to begin a serious techncal discussion. I do not know where it will lead. - My question is: is there something wrong with the Cubesat platform? Its failure rate is pretty high. If you include the university-built Cubesats which IARU has coordinated over the years, perhaps as many as half have failed upon reaching orbit. AMSAT-NA has orbited quite a few successful communications satellites, all of which are or were larger than Cubesats. I have been a member of AMSAT since 1969 and am not questioning its ability. Rather, my question concerns the Cubesat platform. The AMSAT-BB reflector includes people with successful as well as unsuccessful Cubesats. Can we learn anything from their experience? 73 Ray W2RS