JPL CubeSat Portal

JPL is a leader in developing CubeSats for interplanetary and deep space missions.

JPL CubeSat Portal Website: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cubesat/

From Voyager to Cassini, Mars to Pluto, JPL is a leader in interplanetary exploration, and is using its considerable expertise to design and build CubeSats that can explore places far beyond Earth’s orbit.

Communication – JPL has developed radio equipment that will allow its CubeSats to communicate using the powerful Deep Space Network – the same technology used by numerous space missions throughout the solar system and beyond, and a communications network with unmatched reach and reliability.

Navigation – Maneuvering and positioning a spacecraft beyond Earth’s orbit is significantly more challenging that it is closer to home. Two of JPL’s planned CubeSat missions, MarCO and INSPIRE, will help establish technology by which CubeSats can find their way even in the far reaches of the solar system.

Radiation Hardening – Beyond the protection of the Earth’s magnetosphere, the powerful radiation of the sun becomes an increasingly dangerous place for computer equipment. Missions using existing technology won’t last long in such harsh conditions. JPL has developed game-changing technology that can withstand significant levels of radiation while still fitting into the space constraints of a CubeSat