UoSAT microsatellite missions

Abstract

The prohibitively high cost of space projects has, until now, effectively restricted first-hand access to space to a handful of nations and international agencies. Spacecraft have grown ever larger and more complex, whilst also taking longer to mature from concept to orbital operation. Advances in VLSI microelectronics have catalysed a new species of small, low-cost yet sophisticated and highly capable ‘microsatellites’ that can be launched inexpensively as auxiliary payloads complementing, or sometimes providing an alternative to, the high-cost traditional satellites. The paper reviews a decade of the University of Surrey's UoSAT microsatellite programme to illustrate the potential applications of small satellites.