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6U CubeSat commercial applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2016

S. R. Tsitas  and
J. Kingston
J. Kingston*
Affiliation:
Cranfield Space Research Centre, Aerospace Engineering Department, Cranfield University, UK
*
[email protected]
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Abstract

Recent work by Tsitas and Kingston(1) has demonstrated that an 8kg 6U CubeSat can be designed to perform Earth observation missions equivalent to those of 50-150kg microsatellites. Their design is reviewed and its commercial potential is compared to the 156kg RapidEye spacecraft. Three other commercial applications of this design are described. These are: a standard spacecraft for space scientists and astronomers; the spacecraft component of an N nation 5 spectral band disaster monitoring constellation and a night imaging satellite. Nanosatellites should now be considered for commercial missions previously thought to require microsatellites.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 116 , Issue 1176 , February 2012 , pp. 189 - 198
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2012 

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