Purpose and advantages of small satellites
Small satellites and CubeSats are compact, lower-cost spacecraft used by NASA for targeted science, technology demonstrations, and rapid-response missions. They enable experimentation at reduced risk and faster development compared with large missions.
Common uses include:
- Earth observation for focused measurements like atmospheric composition.
- Technology demos for new sensors, propulsion, or communications.
- Planetary pathfinders and student-led science experiments.
- Swarm or constellation concepts to increase spatial and temporal coverage.
Benefits
- Lower cost and faster build cycles allow more frequent missions.
- Educational opportunities for universities and small teams.
- Flexibility to test innovative ideas that could scale up.
- Ability to ride-share on larger launches.
While limited in size and power, advances in miniaturized instruments, avionics, and communications have greatly expanded what small satellites can accomplish, making them a growing and complementary component of NASA's overall mission portfolio.