Next Generation CubeSats and SmallSats

The small satellite market is growing at a fast pace, bringing about quick changes and exciting transformations of technologies and paradigms. Miniature spacecraft, especially those adhering to the common CubeSat standard, are proving impressive capabilities to effectively tackle the challenges set by modern space exploitation. Tracking the rapid updates of the small satellite field is both challenging and crucial to fully take advantage of the constant innovations. The Next Generation of CubeSats and SmallSats provides a wide and clear understanding of the small-satellite approach, potentialities and current limitations. The book analyzes the most promising applications (e.g. constellations and distributed systems; small science platforms that overachieve relative to their development time and cost) as paradigm-shifting solutions for space exploitation with analysis of market statistics and trends while keeping up with the newest technical developments and predicting where the technologies and, consequently, the field is heading in the next decade. Throughout key sections (introduction and background, technology details, systems, applications, and future prospects), the book provides basic design tools scaled to the small satellite problem, assesses the technological State-of-the-Art, describes the most recent advancements with a look to the near future. The book also provides a thorough analysis of CubeSat potentialities and applications, and addresses unique technical approaches and systems strategies adopted during the development process of small satellites. This new book is for aerospace engineering professionals, advanced students, and designers seeking a broad view of the CubeSat world with a brief historical background, strategies, applications, mission scenarios, new challenges and upcoming advances. Presents a comprehensive and systematic view of the technologies and space missions related to nanosats and smallsats Discusses next generation technologies, up-coming advancements and future perspectives Features the most relevant CubeSat launch initiatives from NASA, ESA and from developing countries as well as an overview of the New Space CubeSat market