Itty-Bitty Satellites Take On Big-Time Science Missions
CubeSats are only about twice the size of a Rubik's Cube. Once dismissed as tools for students learning the principles of aerospace engineering, they're now being used for more sophisticated missions.
Tiny satellites are taking on a big-time role in space exploration.
CubeSats are small, only about twice the size of a Rubik's Cube. As the name suggests, they're cube-shaped, 4 inches on each side, and weigh in at about 3 pounds. But with the miniaturization of electronics, it's become possible to pack a sophisticated mission into a tiny package.
CubeSats have been around . Two professors, Jordi Puig-Suari from California Polytechnic State University and Bob Twiggs from Stanford University, wanted to standardize the design specifications of what they termed "picosatellites."
