What Are CubeSat Cameras Used For?

The ‘rule of three’ model is widely used in the world of passenger jet pilots, who employ the same philosophy to make sure that they make smooth landings. However, the paradigm has found more significant rewards in the space world than its embodiment in the CubeSat technology. These are tiny satellites that have made a fascinating opening in the world of space exploration over the last few years. A cube satellite can offer advantages like simplicity, versatility, lightness, and size. Many industries take up all these advantages, with one of the crucial being the CubeSat cameras.

There are many reasons why the space industry has embraced the cube satellite at a rapid pace. To understand this technology, one has to begin from the roots.

Brief History of CubeSat Cameras

The world of cube satellite has been around since 2003. The initial launches were at the cost of approximately $40,000, which is a fraction of the cost taken up by full satellites. For the first decade, only a handful of missions involving these satellites took place, but they have grown in popularity since 2013. As the acceptance of the technology slowly gained due to the explorers witnessing firsthand the various advantages, so has the speed at which acceptance and usage of this technology is practiced. Now, the world of smaller satellites has grown from being a trial project to something viable for creating commercial, educational, scientific and technology demonstration missions. The smaller satellites have made it possible for anyone with a space exploration dream to make it a reality, as they will not be spending hundreds of millions in launching rockets.

Uses In Modern Space Exploration

Now, great use of the smaller satellite technology has come aboard due to CubeSat cameras. South African company Dragonfly Aerospace has come out with a plan to introduce a hyperspectral camera. This will become part of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket which will launch in 2021. This mission is also called HyperActive. The key objective of this mission will be to showcase the capabilities of the CubeSat hyperspectral imager. CubeCom, based in South Africa, is developing the improved X-band downlink transmitter and X-band antenna with high gains. Dragonfly’s rideshare mission with NanoAvionics will demonstrate the combined prowess of the three.

Who Uses the Platform?

There is no doubt that the platform and space for smaller versions have grown quite incredibly in the last few years. Some of the industries where the technology has found a greater acceptance are the following.

Schools

The students can gain a lot of experience in handling space missions, as they are involved in every stage, right from creating the flight hardware. There has been a lot of growth in Canadian schools, which have played an instrumental role in creating a skilled workforce for the industry.

Government

The smaller version has become a game-changer because it is cheaper, smarter, smaller and faster. They can deliver a low-cost yet scientific platform that has been instrumental in several research purposes. Due to the low cost, public-private partnership has also blossomed. The space sector offers plenty of opportunities for those with the right kind of skills and expertise.

Possible Uses of CubeSat Cameras In the Future

The biggest impact on human lives in the coming years and decades will be through data. The CubeSat optical camera will provide a significant amount of data, which machine learning algorithms will process. The power of the camera is quite extraordinary considering the overall weight of the imager. The data collected from the imager will be through various combinations in the 148 spectral bands.

The CubeSat earth observation data will be helpful so that humans will optimize several industries like livestock, mining, and agriculture. The possibilities of coming up with innovative solutions in these industries are also exceptionally high. The CubeSat images will provide a whole new perspective on changes in vehicle traffic, pollution, vegetation, and more.

Dragonfly has been around since 2020, and they have already been inspired to create many hyperspectral and multispectra cameras in different sizes. The multispectral imager from Dragonfly is likely to be put on a satellite that will launch in 2022. The cases of hyperspectral use have gone up quite significantly in the last few years. If the image resolution continues to improve, this will only lead to a better understanding of the environment around us.

Pros and Cons of the Technology

Let’s see some important aspects that we should also discuss in this article.

Advantages

● The CubeSat nanosatellite can be built at a rapid speed—within two years.
● Very fewer expenses to create the satellites
● Design is excellent for short missions
● Design can avoid thermal blankets
● The technology involved is very simple
● It does not create any debris in the space

Disadvantages

● Mission time is very less – from just three months to a year
● Limited capacity reduces the ability to carry scientific instruments

There is no doubt that the concept of smaller satellites and the CubeSat functions are here to stay. They are already making a significant impact in the space exploration segment. Now, they are set to play a crucial role in our daily lives by providing high-quality imagery to help develop innovative solutions in various fields like agriculture and mining. What are your thoughts on the CubeSat cameras? Let us know in the comments section!