CubeSat

Most CubeSats don’t pack their own propulsion systems, instead hitchhiking into orbit aboard other satellite launches. Now, to make them more maneuverable, researchers have developed a system that would allow the mini satellites to safely propel themselves by spraying jets of ordinary water.

Look upwards tonight and you might just see a new “star” streaking across the sky. A Russian CubeSat called Mayak (meaning "lighthouse") was successfully launched on Friday, and is set to be one of the brightest objects in the night sky.

The night sky is dotted with familiar faces, easy to spot thanks to their brightness. But a new object could soon outshine them all (bar the Moon, of course): A Russian CubeSat fitted with solar reflectors, named “Mayak” is due for launch mid-July.

After spending seven months tracking aircraft, CubeSat CanX-7 has started the second phase of its mission, deploying four drag sails to help it fall to Earth faster. The system is designed to demonstrate ways that spacecraft could dispose of themselves post-mission, to help the space junk problem.

One down side to CubeSat satellites' small size is the fact that they can overheat or get too cold very quickly. With that in mind, scientists have created a new type of temperature-regulating radiator for them … and it does its job by folding, just like origami.​

​​Rubik’s-cube-sized CubeSats are nifty, cheap way to study space, but they’re limited to low orbits – until now. Los Alamos researchers have created a safe and innovative rocket motor that could allow CubeSats to zoom around space and even de-orbit themselves when they’re finished their mission.​

Fancy your own personal satellite? Arizona State University​ is working towards making this a reality with its SunCube FemtoSat project. The low-cost, student-designed satellite is aimed at providing greater access to space for scientists and hobbyists alike.

A Glasgow-based startup is reducing the cost of access to space by offering "satellite kits" that make it easier for space enthusiasts, high schools and universities alike to build a small but functional satellite for as little as US$6,000.

CubeSats are certainly in the process of revolutionizing the satellite industry, although they're hampered by the limitations of their small onboard antennas. That may be about to change, though, as MIT is developing larger, inflatable antennas for use in the tiny spacecraft.

The winners of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts 2013 Phase I awards have been chosen based on their potential to transform future aerospace missions by enabling either breakthroughs in aerospace capabilities or entirely new missions.

Seeing greater potential for miniaturized modular satellites, the University of Michigan is installing a miniature plasma thruster system into a 3U CubeSat, enabling the vehicle to leave low Earth orbit and cruise much of the Solar System.

Given 50 problems related to space exploration and 48 hours in which to work, 9,000 people in 80 locations around the world created over 600 solutions, in the International Space Apps Challenge.