CubeSat are tiny satellites that are only tens of inches in size. As such, its useful life and operating options in general are significantly limited because it does not have room for other engines or powertrains in the case. This is not the case with the last two CubeSat that NASA will send into space. With plasma thrusters, you are expected to break the record for the longest distance traveled.

the Space Orion With a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, it will take a series of CubeSats into space for various companies and organizations on their first mission. The last two to be added are the plasma-powered CubeSats. According to the US space agency, these satellites are CubeSats They will use electromagnetic waves to propel themselves into space.

it’s about los CubeSat ‘Team Miles’ y el CubeSat ‘EQUULEUS spacecraft (EQUULEUS) from Lunar-Earth point from los CubeSat from JAXA. Both satellites will be connected to the Orion spacecraft in its stage adapter (the system that connects the spacecraft to the rocket). Once in space, they will unfold to begin their own journey.

The JAXA CubeSat will take pictures of the Earth’s plasma atmosphere from a distance around the Earth and the Moon. for his part CubeSat from Miles Space is a record-breaker. It is equipped with these plasma impellers specifically to test the feasibility of the feature.

If the Team Miles CubeSat succeeds, it will travel a greater distance than any other man-made artifact of the same class. Travel estimated at 96 million km in the space. To put it in context, the minimum distance between Earth and Mars is 62 million kilometers.

Plasma thrusters Using low frequency electromagnetic waves to move the CubeSat. This idea was developed as part of NASA contest To find technological innovations for these small satellites and to improve their capabilities. The CubeSat also has a small computer inside that allows you to navigate independently and will indicate where the Earth is to send signals of life throughout your adventure.

Ingenuity in moving small cubes in a vacuum

Plasma thrusters It is not the only idea that has been developed in recent years to move these small artifacts across space. We’ve previously seen, for example, an electromagnetic system that takes advantage of outside the Earth’s magnetic field to propel the CubeSat.

Another ingenious idea is that of LightSail, which deployed a massive sail to take advantage of the solar wind as a method of navigation. In all three cases, Clever ideas to give these small satellites even greater potential, which is often the only option for companies and small enterprises to conduct scientific and technological research.

via | NASA