CubeSats as Responsive Satellites

California Polytechnic State University, in coordination with Stanford University, has developed the CubeSat standard to provide inexpensive and timely access to space for small payloads. These picosatellites, built mostly by universities, are 10 centimeter cubes with a mass of 1 kilogram. Of the 40 or so participating universities and private firms, more than 60% of CubeSat developers reside in the United States. Our goal is to make launching these satellites easy and cost effective by coordinating launches and providing a reliable deployment system. This paper will discuss Cal Poly’s role in the CubeSat program, and the characteristics of the project which create practical, reliable, and cost-effective launch opportunities.