Cubesats Open Space Access to Engineers and Innovators
Cubesats, compact satellites no larger than a school lunchbox, are reshaping access to space-based experimentation and observation. These miniature platforms are currently being deployed by NASA in missions aimed at detecting lunar water, a capability that could support future crewed expeditions. The Artemis II mission, expected to conduct a lunar fly-by in 2024, will feature Christina Koch and Victor Glover, marking the first time a woman and a Black astronaut participate in a lunar mission.
The appeal of cubesats extends far beyond billion-dollar agencies. Their components can be sourced commercially, enabling organizations without prior space ambitions to participate in orbital projects. Professor Andrew Dempster, Director of the Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research (ACSER) at UNSW Sydney, emphasizes their accessibility: “The real benefit of cubesats is their plug-and-play nature. If anybody wants to launch a cubesat it’s easy to buy all the spacecraft equipment you need and then design and build whatever payload you want to integrate.” Payloads might include sensors, imaging systems, or communication relays capable of covering wide geographic areas.
Cost is a critical differentiator. Traditional satellites often require multi-million-dollar budgets, but cubesats can be built and launched for approximately $100,000 to $150,000. Deployment services, such as those offered by NanoRacks, integrate cubesats into cargo missions to the International Space Station, where they are released into orbit via specialized pods.
Cubesats are defined by their modular architecture, with each ‘Unit’ measuring 10 cm per side. Common configurations include 2U, 3U, or 6U sizes, accommodating essential subsystems such as power, communications, and, when needed, propulsion. Their compact form allows them to be stowed aboard rockets operated by private launch providers, whose increasing cadence—driven by companies like SpaceX and Rocket Lab—has broadened opportunities for access to space. Missions have ranged from Earth observation and climate monitoring to technology demonstrations and interplanetary exploration. Emerging applications could include space weather tracking, asteroid detection, and advanced astrophysics experiments.
According to Prof. Dempster, Australian businesses, industries, and schools have significant untapped potential to engage with cubesat projects, whether through spacecraft design or payload development. ACSER’s upcoming CubeSatPlus Innovation & Development Workshop aims to catalyze this involvement. “We talk about ‘spinning in’. That is, people in other industries who may be interested in space but at the moment they think it’s just too hard, or just too expensive,” he explains. Fields such as 3D printing or pressure vessel manufacturing could contribute valuable capabilities to space missions, even if their practitioners have never considered aerospace applications.
Material and component testing in the space environment offers further opportunities. Experiments conducted in vacuum conditions or under radiation exposure can yield data critical to improving engineering resilience. Such testing could inform the design of spacecraft systems, enhance durability, and validate new materials for future missions.
Despite their promise, cubesats face reliability challenges. A NASA analysis of small-satellite missions between 2000 and 2016 revealed that nearly half experienced total or partial mission failure. Prof. Dempster underscores the importance of improving “Mission Assurance” for these platforms. “We want cubesats to be more reliable. That is to manage the existing risks better or create developments that overcome some of the risks,” he says.
The combination of affordability, modularity, and growing launch opportunities positions cubesats as a transformative tool for engineers, researchers, and innovators. As collaborative efforts between space industry experts and nontraditional participants expand, the potential for breakthroughs in both technology and scientific discovery continues to grow.
