Good things can really be combined in a small size.
When we think of satellites with communications, weather monitoring and GPS positioning, what emerges in our minds is a huge monster – as big as a school bus, weighing a few tons. However, there is now a smaller satellite that is quietly becoming popular. This miniaturized satellite is called a nanosatellite or a cube satellite and can be placed in the palm of your hand. They will provide new tools for space exploration.
Small head, no small use
"Cube satellites are one of the technologies that are changing the development of space exploration." David Pierce, senior director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sub-orbital research program, said: "Cube satellite is a small platform that can make the next generation Scientists and engineers have completed various space missions during their student days. Cube satellites have been used in teaching and technology demonstrations and now have the potential to perform important space exploration missions."
According to NASA's official website, cube satellites are designed according to the technical standard of 1 unit (1U). Each 1U is equivalent to 10 cubic centimeters. Their volume can be designed as 1U, 2U, 3U or 6U, and the weight per 1U is 3 pounds. .
They are usually mounted on the rocket as auxiliary payloads and sent to space orbit, greatly reducing the cost of rocket launches. And because of the lighter load and lower price, cube satellites also significantly reduce the cost of "space trials."
"It gives us the opportunity to take risks." Janice Burkina, executive director of the NASA Planetary Exploration Small Innovation Mission (SIMPLEx), said: "These micro experiments are a complement to NASA's large-scale experiments."
Because it is small, so "close to the people"
It is also possible to interpret the "small is big" of the cube satellite from another angle, that is, the use of cube satellites is extensive, not limited to the top scientists.
Cube satellites are not only low cost, but also have a short cycle from concept study to launch (generally two to three years), allowing students and more and more civic scientists and engineers to participate in NASA's space exploration mission. By providing hands-on opportunities for students and teachers, NASA's Cube Satellite attracts more students to choose and stay in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, strengthening NASA's and even the nation's future talent pool for space exploration.
In addition, the inclusion of cube satellites can also be interpreted from a geographical perspective. In 2014, NASA announced the expansion of the Cube Satellite Launch Program with the goal of launching 50 cube satellites in 50 US states within five years. To date, NASA has selected cube satellites from 30 states, and 17 have been successfully launched.
Two states, Alaska and Maryland, will launch cube satellites in the second half of this year, one of which will be launched in an unprecedented capacity in the name of an elementary school.
Small task, extraordinary potential
In April 2015, NASA's Planetary Exploration Small Innovation Mission Project sought the Cube Satellite Interplanetary Exploration Proposal. Two exploration missions were selected, one by a postdoctoral scientist and one university professor.
One of them is the lunar polar zone hydrogen mapping instrument (LunaH-Map). This 6U-class cube satellite will enter the polar orbit of the moon and operate at a low altitude of 3 to 7 miles (4.8 to 11.3 kilometers) from the moon's south pole. The two neutron spectrometers it carries will depict the distribution of hydrogen on the lunar surface. The other is the Particle Aggregation and Collision Experiment Cube Satellite (Q-PACE), a 2U-class, thermos-sized satellite that will study the basic characteristics of low-speed particles colliding in a microgravity environment, with the goal of A good understanding of the formation mechanism of early planets.
In addition, the planetary science department at NASA's headquarters has selected three cube satellite technologies for future planetary exploration: one for expanding NASA's ability to analyze the Martian atmosphere, one for analyzing the hydrogen cycle of the moon, and one for using Observing near-Earth asteroids.
"These selected tasks will give the next generation of planetary scientists and engineers the opportunity to take advantage of revolutionary new mission concepts that may bring extraordinary scientific realms." Bukner concluded, "Cube satellites will affect the future." Planet exploration."
Concerned about surprises
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