CubeSats

A CubeSat is a small satellite with a standard form factor of 10 cm cubes and a mass of no more than 2 kg per unit, typically using commercial off-the-shelf components. Developed in 1999 by Jordi Puig-Suari and Bob Twiggs, CubeSats were initially designed for educational purposes but have since been used for a variety of experiments, including Earth observation, amateur radio, and biological research. Over 2,300 CubeSats have been launched as of December 2023, and the technology has been used for missions to the Moon and beyond, with some CubeSats serving as countries' first-ever satellites.learn more on wikipedia