Low-cost microsatellite.

Employing ultra-small satellite technology invented by Stanford University, CubeSats provided a satellite that could be placed into Earth orbit for under $ 100,000. The Cubesat bus measured 10 centimeters on a side, and weighed less than one kilogram. The CubeSat microsatellite was a perfect cube, holding its experiments inside like shelves in a cupboard. A CubeSat microsatellite could hold anything, from microgravity experiments to the ashes of a loved one. One Stop Satellite Solutions was one company marketing the technology. They combined the CubeSat technology with their Mutli-Payload Adaptor, effectively creating a launch pad in space. Scores of satellites could be launched at once.

Cubesats could be used for scientific missions (microgravity, biomedical, component testing, amateur radio) or personal (burial, photography). Users could buy the bare-bones structure, or satellites equipped with computer, communications, and the power systems to meet mission requirements.

Length: 0.0100 m (0.0320 ft). Maximum Diameter: 0.0100 m (0.0320 ft). Span: 0.0100 m (0.0320 ft). Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Rokot.

• 2003 June 30 - CubeSat XI-IV - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: UR-100N. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 818 km (508 mi). Apogee: 833 km (517 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 101.40 min.

  Cubesat XI carried technology tests for the University of Tokyo.

• 2003 June 30 - Quakesat - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: UR-100N. Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Perigee: 820 km (500 mi). Apogee: 834 km (518 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 101.40 min.

  The Stanford University/Quakesat LLC Quakesat was to be used for detection of ELF radio emissions from seismic activity.

• 2003 June 30 - Cute-1 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: UR-100N. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 817 km (507 mi). Apogee: 833 km (517 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 101.40 min.

  CUTE-I carried engineering test equipment and was built by the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

• 2003 June 30 - AAU Cubesat - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: UR-100N. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 816 km (507 mi). Apogee: 831 km (516 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 101.40 min.

  Aalborg University successfully contacted its AAU-Cubesat nanosatellite after it was separated. It carried a 100-meter-resolution Earth imaging camera.

• 2003 June 30 - CanX-1 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: UR-100N. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 817 km (507 mi). Apogee: 831 km (516 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 101.40 min.

  CanX-1, from the University of Toronto, carried a camera for attitude determination.

• 2003 June 30 - DTUSAT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: UR-100N. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 816 km (507 mi). Apogee: 831 km (516 mi). Inclination: 98.70 deg. Period: 101.40 min.

  Danish cubesat DTUSat remained silent after release despite several attempts to contact it. Carried a 450-meter copper wire tether for lowering the satellite orbit.

• 2005 October 27 - UWE-1 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 683 km (424 mi). Apogee: 708 km (439 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min.

  University of Wurzburg cubesat. Released from SSETI Express.

• 2005 October 27 - NCube-2 - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 684 km (425 mi). Apogee: 712 km (442 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min.

  Norwegian cubesat. Evidently was released from SSETI Express but no signal received.

• 2005 October 27 - Cubesat XI-V - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 682 km (423 mi). Apogee: 708 km (439 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 98.70 min.

  University of Tokyo cubesat. Released from SSETI Express.

• 2007 March 9 - MEPSI Picosat - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 558 km (346 mi). Apogee: 563 km (349 mi). Inclination: 35.40 deg.

  Released from STPSat.

• 2007 March 9 - MEPSI Picosat - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 558 km (346 mi). Apogee: 563 km (349 mi). Inclination: 35.40 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Released from STPSat.

• 2007 April 17 - CSTB 1 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 648 km (402 mi). Apogee: 771 km (479 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 99.00 min.

  CubeSat TestBed for Boeing IDS/Advanced Systems, Huntington Beach, California.

• 2007 April 17 - Libertad - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 646 km (401 mi). Apogee: 793 km (492 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 99.20 min.

  Picosat built and operated by the Universidad Sergio Arboleda, Bogota, Colombia.

• 2007 April 17 - CP 4 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 648 km (402 mi). Apogee: 771 km (479 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 99.00 min.

  California Polytechnic University cubesat.

• 2007 April 17 - MAST - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M. Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Perigee: 647 km (402 mi). Apogee: 783 km (486 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 99.10 min.

  Multi Application Survivable Tether experiment, built by Tethers Unlimited Inc and Stanford University. MAST consisted of the TED (Tether Deployer) satellite, with a 1 km deployable multi-strand Hoytether; RALPH, a small end mass satellite; and between them, GADGET, an inspector satellite which could move along the tether. Before deployment the MAST package fit into a 0.3 m x 0.1 m module.

• 2007 April 17 - CP 3 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 646 km (401 mi). Apogee: 793 km (492 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 99.20 min.

  California Polytechnic University cubesat, the backup for CP2 lost in a Dnepr launch failure in 2006.

• 2007 April 17 - Aerocube 2 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 648 km (402 mi). Apogee: 771 km (479 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 99.00 min.

  AeroSpace Corporation cubesat.

• 2007 April 17 - CAPE 1 - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: R-36M. Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Perigee: 646 km (401 mi). Apogee: 793 km (492 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 99.20 min.

  Cajun Advanced Picosatellite Experiment by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.