DocumentCode :
66607
Title :
The cubed route
Author :
Edwards, Chris
Volume :
8
Issue :
2
fYear :
2013
fDate :
Mar-13
Firstpage :
68
Lastpage :
72
Abstract :
The future of the satellite launch is cubed: meet the Jack-in-the-box that can carry your experiment into orbit on a realistic budget. Satellite technology has, of course, progressed hugely over the last 50 years - as has its expense. It can take years to design and build a satellite these days, and can cost up to $1bn for a complex set-up - with around half of the funding going on the disposable rocket used to put the probe into orbit. The three-satellite Metop (Meteorological Operational satellite programme) project run by the European Space Agency (ESA) for weather monitoring is estimated to be costing a total of €3.2bn, including the expense of maintaining contact with Earth stations. A four-month delay to the launch added more than €10m to the bill. Such high costs have limited access to space to those with very deep pockets; now that situation is changing, due partly to the advent of the `Cubesat´.
Keywords :
artificial satellites; meteorology; rockets; space vehicle electronics; Cubesat; Earth stations; European Space Agency; Meteorological Operational satellite programme; cubed route; disposable rocket; electronics satellites; orbit; realistic budget; satellite launch; satellite technology; three-satellite Metop project; weather monitoring;
fLanguage :
English
Journal_Title :
Engineering & Technology
Publisher :
iet
ISSN :
1750-9637
Type :
jour
DOI :
10.1049/et.2013.0210
Filename :
6469128
Link To Document :
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