CubeSats: A bright future of nanosatellites. Small satellites, generally regarded as having a mass of 500 kg or less, have been around for over half a century, but interest in this area is growing now more than ever. Despite the fact that small satellites are currently in vogue, it is worthwhile remembering that the very first satellites placed into orbit a little over 50 years ago were in fact small satellites: Russia’s Sputnik 1 and the USA’S Explorer 1 were both less than 100 kg. Since the launch of those two satellites in the late 1950s, the average satellite has grown considerably in size and cost Despite these potential benefits of small satellites, the major challenge is finding opportunities to launch them. The term ”CubeSat” refers to a cube-shaped satellite measuring 10 cm×10 cm×10 cm and having a mass no greater than 1 kg. This standard si...