News Archive / Tagged: CubeSat

• NASA tests solar sail for Exploration Mission 1’S NEA Scout

  Jim SharkeyJuly 5th, 2018

  On June 28, 2018 NASA conducted a successful deployment test of the solar sail for the space agency's Near-Earth Asteroid Scout (NEA Scout) CubeSat mission. NEA Scout is a small satellite designed to study asteroids close to the Earth and is scheduled to launch on Exploratory Mission-1 (EM-1). The test was conducted inside a clean room at the NeXolve facility in Huntsville, Alabama. 

• Long March 2D launches Gaofen 6 and Luojia 1 to orbit

  Tomasz NowakowskiJune 3rd, 2018

  A Long March 2D booster took to the skies on Saturday, June 2, to deliver the Gaofen 6 Earth-observing satellite and Luojia 1 CubeSat into space.

• “Pale Blue Dot” imaged by MarCO CubeSat

  Paul KnightlyMay 25th, 2018

  Reminiscent of the famous Voyager 1 “Pale Blue Dot” photo, an image returned by one of NASA’s Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeSats on May 9, 2018, shows a distant Earth and Moon as it speeds off toward the Red Planet.

• D-Star One small satellite undergoes final tests

  Press ReleaseNovember 5th, 2017

  German Orbital Systems and iSky Technology companies have completed the final tests of the D-Star One small satellite's systems successfully and arranged its shipment to the launch site.

• Orbital ATK eyeing new date for Minotaur-C launch with SkySat

  Jason RhianOctober 12th, 2017

  Wanting a chance to further verify and carry out routine testing of their Minotaur-C rocket, the Dulles, Virginia-based firm Orbital ATK announced on Wednesday, October 11, 2017, that it has requested a later launch date for the solid-propellant fueled rocket. At present, a new launch date is not available. 

• Paving the way to the Moon: Estonian CubeSat to test new technologies

  Tomasz NowakowskiApril 26th, 2017

  Estonia plans to launch a CubeSat into space in early 2019 with the aim to test advanced technologies, including a plasma brake for deorbiting satellites and an electric sail propulsion system. The mission, named ESTCube-2, is expected to serve as a prototype for Estonia’s future Moon-orbiting spacecraft.

• Proposed CubeSat mission to study atmospheric processes on Venus

  Tomasz NowakowskiApril 9th, 2017

  A small CubeSat designed to investigate atmospheric processes on Venus has been recently chosen by NASA for further development. The spacecraft, known as the CubeSat UV Experiment (CUVE), is one of ten missions to study Solar System planets and asteroids, selected by the agency under the Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies (PSDS3) program.

• CXBN-2 CubeSat to embark on an important X-ray astronomy mission

  Tomasz NowakowskiMarch 5th, 2017

  A university-built small satellite known as the Cosmic X-Ray Background NanoSat-2 (CXBN-2) is being prepared for its upcoming ambitious science mission. The spacecraft – scheduled for launch into space on March 19 – is expected to deliver crucial data that could advance our knowledge of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB).

• LunaH-Map CubeSat to map the Moon’s water deposits

  Tomasz NowakowskiFebruary 5th, 2017

  Arizona State University (ASU) is developing a small satellite that will search for hydrogen in lunar craters with the ultimate goal of creating the most detailed map of the Moon’s water deposits. The spacecraft, named the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map), is expected to shed new light on the depth and distribution of water ice on the Moon.

• Unclassified NRO CubeSats hitch ride on WorldView-4 launch

  Curt GodwinNovember 14th, 2016

  When one thinks of satellites in the National Reconnaissance Office's (NRO) fleet, the mind's eye may conjure pictures of Hubble-sized spy satellites with lenses pointed toward Earth engaged in super-secret intelligence gathering. While that mental image may be somewhat accurate, it is by no means complete.

• NASA small satellites poised to take a new view of Earth

  Jim SharkeyNovember 9th, 2016

  This month, NASA will launch the first of a suite of six next-generation, Earth-observing small satellite missions to demonstrate innovative new methods for studying our changing planet. These small satellites range in size from a loaf of bread to a small washing machine with a mass of just a few pounds to 400 pounds (180 kilograms).

• Sun-observing MinXSS CubeSat to yield new insights into solar flares

  Tomasz NowakowskiNovember 6th, 2016

  A small shoebox-sized satellite has recently proved that studying solar phenomena is not reserved only for large space observatories. The NASA-funded Miniature X-Ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS) is providing invaluable information about solar flares coming from the Sun, which could shed new light on these violent and energetic events.

• World’s first private orbital launch complex completed in New Zealand

  Tomasz NowakowskiSeptember 30th, 2016

  Rocket Lab, a U.S. company with a New Zealand subsidiary aiming to provide commercial rocket launch services, announced Sept. 26 the completion of the world’s first private space launch site on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. The facility, named Launch Complex 1, will serve as the primary site for launches of the company’s Electron rocket.

• Lockheed Martin’s ‘SkyFire’ aims to boldly go where no other CubeSat has gone

  Curt GodwinAugust 9th, 2016

  Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with NASA to launch and deploy its 6U SkyFire CubeSat on the agency's maiden launch of the Space Launch System (SLS) in 2018 in an effort to increase our understanding of Earth's closest neighbor.

• PSLV booster soars into space with fleet of 20 satellites

  Tomasz NowakowskiJune 22nd, 2016

  India has successfully launched its flagship PSLV rocket carrying a record number of 20 satellites. The launch occurred as planned at 9:26 a.m. local time (03:56 GMT) from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.