[amsat-bb] Current Launch Costs From Spaceflight

[Paul Stoetzer]

The Wikipedia article on CubeSats
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CubeSat) has a very nice summary of why
they are the present and future of the small satellite industry:

"The CubeSat specification accomplishes several high-level goals.
Simplification of the satellite's infrastructure makes it possible to
design and produce a workable satellite at low cost. Encapsulation of
the launcher–payload interface takes away the prohibitive amount of
managerial work that would previously be required for mating a
piggyback satellite with its launcher. Unification among payloads and
launchers enables quick exchanges of payloads and utilization of
launch opportunities on short notice."

I've noticed from reading this board's current posts and archives that
there is a bias against CubeSats from some due to a belief that they
are somehow inherently limited in capability, unreliable, and short
lived, but there is nothing inherent in the CubeSat format that makes
it that way, it's simply a standardized way to build a satellite.

73,

Paul, N8HM

On Fri, Aug 1, 2014 at 1:01 PM, John Becker <w0jab at big-river.net> wrote:
> Can some explain to me and others the big deal about cube sats?
> I just dont get it.
>
> John
>
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