Nanosatellites

1 I-1A Brief History of Nanosatellites

Siegfried W. Janson

xLab, The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, USA

1.1 Introduction

The term “nanosatellite” first appeared in print in a paper by the University of Surrey in 1992 [1]. Although originally defined as a spacecraft with a mass of less than 10 kg, nanosatellites are now more narrowly defined as spacecraft with a mass between 1 and 10 kg. Solid-state electronics and primitive solar cells enabled the first active nanosatellite, Vanguard 1, launched by the USA in 1958. It carried two continuous wave (CW) transmitters that enabled monitoring of spacecraft's internal temperatures and the total integrated electron density between the satellite and a ground station. This first nanosatellite is still in orbit but has been silent since 1964. Continued advancements in microelectronics/nanoelectronics, solar cells, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and computer-aided design (CAD) now enable visible imaging nanosatellites with 5 m ground resolution and nanosatellites that use global positioning system radio occultation measurements to measure ionospheric electron densities, tropospheric and stratospheric humidity levels, and temperatures. Much has happened in the intervening 60 years.

1.2 Historical Nanosatellite Launch Rates

Figure 1.1 shows the launch history of active nanosatellites from 1958 through 2017. Over 600 passive nanosatellites, operating basically as reflectors of radiofrequency (RF) radiation or as air drag monitors, ...