NewSpace Index (newspace.im) also includes microsatellites and smallsats
Mission | Destination | Launch | Summary | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|
CPOD | LEO | 2018 | Docking with 3U nanosatellites. Will demonstrate precision flying around each other and then docking. Will enable to explore asteroids, moons and to inspect other spacecraft. | ![]() |
INSPIRE | Earth escape | 2018 | Goal of two 3U INSPIRE spacecraft is to open deep space to CubeSats and demonstrate necessary functions like telecommunication and navigation. Will be the first interplanetary and deep space CubeSat. | ![]() |
RSat (Repair CubeSat) | LEO | 2018 | Two 7 DoF robotic arms fitted with manipulators to enable inspection and servicing. Operates with BRICSat that provides propulsion and attitude control. Magnetic docking system will include power and data pass-through. Part of AMODS (Autonomous Mobile On-orbit Diagnostic System). | ![]() |
CAPE-MIRCA | LEO | 2018 | Micro return capsule is the first planetary atmosphere entry probe flight prototype to measure density, temperature and composition. GAMASAT also has re-entry capsule and will launch in 2016 with QB50, but not sure if and how capsule will be released. | ![]() |
Mars Cube One (MarCO) | Mars flyby | 2018 | Two 6U deep space CubeSats were planned to be launched in 2016, but delayed due to InSight Mars lander. They will flyby Mars during the landing of InSight and relay status in real time, which is not possible today. | ![]() |
NEA Scout | Asteroid flyby | 2020 | First CubeSat to reach an asteroid and map it using an ~80 m2 solar sail for propulsion. One of 13 6U CubeSats that will launch with a new NASA SLS rocket in 2018 which will send Orion capsule on a trip around the Moon. | ![]() |
Lunar Flashlight | Moon orbit | 2020 | First CubeSat to reach the Moon and the first to use lasers to look for water ice. Near infrared lasers will shine light into the shaded polar regions, while the spectrometer measures surface reflection and composition. One of 13 6U SLS CubeSats. | ![]() |
OMOTENASHI | Moon orbit, Moon surface |
2020 | Will release a 1 kg lunar lander with inflatable airbags to demonstrate technology for low-cost and very small spacecraft to explore the lunar surface and will measure the radiation environment. One of 13 6U SLS CubeSats. | ![]() |
SWIMSat | GEO | 2021 | 6U CubeSat to monitor solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and monitor Earth meteor impacts. Might be the first CubeSat to geostationary (GEO) orbit, but too early to know for sure. | ![]() |
M-ARGO | 50-m asteroid | 2022 | 12U CubeSat from ESA to rendezvous with a small rapidly spinning asteroid and spend around six months surveying with multispectral imager and laser altimeter. | ![]() |
DARCSIDE | Europa, Jupiter moon | 2025 | 3U CubeSat flying with Europa Clipper spacecraft to study Europa's atmosphere. Experiments are planned to be drag measurement and high energy particle detector. | ![]() |
Organization | Launched / Planned size |
First launch |
Form factor | Field | Funding | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Planet | 324 / 150+ | 2013 | 3U | Earth observation | $183 million | ![]() |
Spire | 81 / 150+ | 2013 | 3U | Weather / AIS / ADS-B | $149.5 million | ![]() |
Planetary Resources | 2 / 10 | 2014 | 12U | Earth observation | $50+ million | ![]() |
Astro Digital (Aquila) | 5 / 10+20 | 2014 | 6U / 16U | Earth observation | $16.7+ million | ![]() |
Sky and Space Global | 3 / 200 | 2017 | 3U | IoT / M2M / Voice | $11.5 million | ![]() |
GeoOptics | 5 / ? | 2017 | 6U | Weather | $5.15 million | ![]() |
Kepler Communications | 1 / 140 | 2018 | 3U | IoT / M2M | $5 million | ![]() |
PlanetiQ | 0 / 18 | 2018 | 6U | Weather | $5+ million | ![]() |
Hiber (Magnitude Space) | 0 / 48 | 2018 | 6U | IoT / M2M | $4.1 million | |
Hera Systems | 0 / 48 | 2018 | 12U | Earth observation | $4.2+ million | ![]() |
Capella Space | 0 / 40 | 2018 | 12U | SAR | $12+ million | |
Astrocast (ELSE) |
0 / 64 | 2018 | 3U | IoT / M2M | $7.1 million | ![]() |
Lacuna Space | 0 / ? | 2018 | 6U | IoT / M2M | Yes | |
Fleet Space | 0 / 100 | 2018 | 12U | IoT / M2M | $3.7 million | ![]() |
AISTech | 0 / 100 | 2018 | 6U | IoT / M2M / ADS-B / AIS / IR imaging | $0.31 million | ![]() |
Helios Wire | 0 / 30 | 2018 | 16U | IoT / M2M | $5 million | ![]() |
Karten Space | 0 / 14 | 2018 | 6U | Earth observation / AIS | ? | ![]() |
UnSeenLabs | 0 / ? | 2018 | 6U | RF spectrum monitoring | ? | ![]() |
Analytical Space | 0 / ? | 2018 | 6U | Optical relay / IoT / M2M | $4 million | ![]() |
NSLComm (SkyFi) | 0 / 60 | 2018 | 6U | Internet | $9.25+ million | ![]() |
Orbital Micro Systems | 0 / 40 | 2018 | 3U? | Weather | $0.65 million | ![]() |
Aerial & Maritime (partially GomSpace) |
0 / ? | 2019 | 3U? | AIS / ADS-B | $12.2 million | |
SRT Marine | 0 / 6+ | 2019 | 6U | AIS | ? | |
Reaktor Space | 0 / 36 | 2019 | 6U | Earth observation / Hyperspectral | ? | ![]() |
Rupercorp | 0 / ? | 2019 | 6U | Earth observation | ? | |
Harris | 0 / 12 | 2019 | 6U | Weather | ? | ![]() |
Transcelestial | 0 / ? | 2019 | ? | Optical relay / comms | Seed | |
Bluefield | 0 / 22 | 2019 | 16U | Methane emissions | Yes | ![]() |
Myriota | 0 / ? | ? | ? | IoT / M2M | $15+ million | |
Blink Astro | 0 / ? | ? | 3U | IoT / M2M | ? | ![]() |
OQ Technology | 0 / ? | ? | ? | IoT / M2M | ||
Tekever | 0 / 12 | ? | 16U | Earth observation / SAR / AIS / ADS-B / IoT | ? | ![]() |
Koolock | 0 / ? | ? | ? | IR imaging | ? | |
Earthcube | 0 / 10 | Cancel? | ? | IR imaging | $4.5+ million | |
Terran Orbital (Tyvak) | 0 / ? | Cancel? | ? | IoT / M2M | Yes | |
ISIS / Innovative Data Services |
0 / 16 | Cancel? | 3U | AIS | ? | |
Promethean Labs | 0 / ? | Cancel? | ? | Gas emissions | ? |
Complimentary reading: NASA Small Spacecraft Technology State of the Art (online version) and Achieving Science with CubeSats reports.
Good overview of CubeSat instruments and technology progress by Anthony Freeman from 2016
Planetary Decadal Science Mapping and Nanosat-Compatible Instrument Availability by Caltech from 2016
Many future space science mission concepts in Keck Institute Final Report from 2014.
Best overview of (upcoming) small satellite launchers by Carlos Niederstrasser and Warren Frick of Orbital ATK at IAC 2016. (I will mostly wait for the first launch before adding.)
There are many more providers and special (free) launch opportunities and competitions.
e.g. with SLS to Moon through Cube Quest and with ESA AIM to Didymos asteroid.
Most nanosatellites from Japan, India, China and Russia are launched by their space agencies.
PW-Sat2 Preliminary Requirements Review includes a table about 2U launch offers from 2014.
Organization | Sites active/planned | Status | Bands | Cost | Investments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spaceflight Networks | 8 / 12+ | Operational | UHF, S, X | $1.95/min for UHF. $19.95/min for S/X band. | |
KSAT Light | 22 / 22 | Operational | VHF, UHF, S, X, Ka | 250€/pass ? | |
SSC Infinity | ? / ? | Operational | |||
SatNOGS | 36+ / ? | Operational | VHF, UHF | Free | |
ATLAS | 9 / 9 | Operational | UHF, S, X, Ka | ||
Leaf Space | 4 / 20 | Operational | VHF, UHF, S, X | 5€/MB to receive UHV/VHF. 0.4€/MB to receive S band. 0.1€/Mbyte to receive X band. Better custom plans. | $2.7 million |
RBC Signals | 21 / 21+ | In private Beta | UHF, S, X, Ka | $1.5 million | |
Infostellar | 0 / ? | 2018 | $8.3 million | ||
BridgeSat | 0 / ? | 2018 | Optical / Laser | $6+ million | |
Audacy | 0 / ? | 2019 | Ku | $6.3 million | |
Cingulan Space | 0 / ? | ? | |||
EnduroSat | 0 / ? | ? | $2.2 million |
From commercial services and products to freeware mission control software
Mission Control System | Type | Status | Description | Flight heritage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Solenix / Elveti | Product | Ready / In development | Complete, cost effective solution for operating and monitoring nano and small satellites. Multi-satellites and multiple ground station capability. Scripts for simplified operations. Leverage key aerospace standards. | Based on SwissCube Satellite Control System. |
Bright Ascension | Product | Ready / In development | A functional simulator allows operator training and the validation of onboard scripts before uploading. Infrastructure software to connect the ground stations to the mission operations centre. | Used on UKube-1. |
NASA Open MCT | Freeware | Ready / In development | Mission control framework for visualization of data on desktop and mobile devices. | NASA Ames and JPL |
Kubos | Product | In development | Full-Stack Flight Software for Satellites. Introducing a space-grade flight system with ongoing support. Cloud based mission operations and data analytics service. Integration with both cloud based ground network providers and on-site hardware. | |
Spaceit | Product | In development | MCS as a service, cloud based solution. In ESA BIC Estonia. | CTO background from ESTCube-1 MCS and CGI. |
Saber Astronautics / PIGI | Product | In development | Mission control software for the modern age. A video-game quality interface allows you to reach any point of the spacecraft or environment, while world class data mining gives operational intelligence to the meaning of the data. | Selected by Fleet Space as operations provider. |
Audacy Space / Quindar | Freeware | In early stage | Aims to create a modern, browser based, real time data visualization platform to monitor and operate complex engineering systems in a spaceflight mission operations setting. Commercially backed by Audacy to maintain it for free. | |
Interstel / iCOSMOS | Product | In early stage? | Spin-off company of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Primary purpose is to market iCOSMOS™ and adapt it for specific and more proprietary applications. | . |
Next.it | Product | In early stage? | Based on the European Ground System - Common Core. Simplified deployment and configuration using Docker. Native Multi Mission functionality. |
Conference | Dates | Location |
---|---|---|
2018 SmallSat Symposium | February 5 - 8, 2018 | Mountain View, California, USA |
PocketQube Workshop 2018 | March 22 - 23, 2018 | Delft, Netherlands |
15th Annual CubeSat Developers Workshop | April 30 - May 2, 2018 | San Luis Obispo, California, USA |
7th Annual Lunarcubes Workshop | May 3 - 4, 2018 | San Luis Obispo, California, USA |
Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference 2018 | May 7-8, 2018 | Pasadena, California, USA |
4S Symposium 2018 | May 28 - June 1, 2018 | Sorrento, Italy |
7th Interplanetary CubeSat Workshop | May 29 - 30, 2018 | Paris, France |
SmallSat 2018 | August 4 - 9, 2018 | Logan, Utah, USA |
69th IAC 2018 | October 1 - 5, 2018 | Bremen, Germany |
10th European CubeSat Symposium | ? | ? |
Feel free to connect at any time. Always glad to receive your questions and feedback.
Created by Erik Kulu
Email:
erikkulu@gmail.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/erikkulu
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