Page 90 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

of launching 6U in CubeSats per airlock cycle. The Radix service downlinks data to the ground using
There are 10 Kibo Module airlock cycles scheduled laser communication, and increases the amount of data
each year that support not only CubeSats, but that may be transmitted for current and future satellite
many other external payloads as well. users. The ability for satellite operators to downlink
more data improves the function of applications that
Since 2012, nano-satellites and CubeSats from many
countries around the world have been deployed from are important on Earth, such as real-time weather
Kibo. On many occasions these CubeSats represent monitoring, crop monitoring and global climate
the first satellites designed and built by students monitoring. This greatly increases Earth observation
or engineers from these countries. The KiboCUBE and monitoring science provided to scientific and
program, initiated in 2015, is a collaboration between commercial users.
the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and RainCube, developed by Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems
JAXA in utilizing the ISS Kibo for the world. KiboCUBE Inc. in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion
aims to provide educational or research institutions Laboratory, is another technology demonstration
from developing countries of United Nations mission taking place in 2018. This CubeSat will be
membership with opportunities to deploy, from the the first to use a radar instrument. RainCube will enable
ISS Kibo, CubeSats that they develop and manufacture. precipitation radar technologies on a low-cost, quick-
Through KiboCUBE, a CubeSat from Kenya has been turnaround platform, demonstrating a small radar and
deployed. The KiboCUBE program was extended from ultra-compact deployable antenna and providing a
September 2018 to March 2021, with the Republic of profile of the Earth’s vertically falling precipitation such
Mauritius selected as the next country to participate. as rain and snow. The RainCube mission enables
future Earth science missions to improve weather
CubeSat missions benefit Earth in varying ways.
The ISS has continued to serve as a test bed for and climate models.
novel CubeSat technologies today. For example,
B4H 3rd Edition In late 2017, the Integrated Solar Array and Reflectarray
the 2018 Radix mission, developed by Analytical Antenna (ISARA) demonstrated a new hybrid antenna
Space, Inc., is intended to demonstrate the operation and power system for use in CubeSats. Advances in
of the first commercial optical communication downlink. material science and electrical engineering have made
possible a flexible solar panel that can send and receive
messages. ISARA, developed by The Aerospace
Corporation and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
tested the performance of these new solar antennas
in collecting instrumental data aboard a CubeSat
deployed from the ISS and monitored
Photography— by ground-based engineering crews.
From Another
“Planet” to Ours From satellites that focus on technology demonstrations
to test data transmission rates and increase efficiency,
Started by three NASA to Earth observation satellites that help scientists
Scientific
Economic
engineers in 2010, Planet provides Earth explore our planet’s atmosphere, the variety of science
Valuation
Valuation
observation photography from low-Earth enabled by CubeSats results in diverse benefits and
orbit. Using the space station as a technology opportunities for discovery and commercial application.
development test bed, Planet deployed 110 small SmallSats were once the exclusive domain of research
ECONOMIC
SCIENTIFIC
satellites before moving on to using commercial institutes and universities. Today, 51% of SmallSats
VALUATION
VALUATION
launch providers. Since its formation, Planet has are being developed by the private sector, and
garnered $183.1 million of private funding and 67% of all SmallSats are developed to provide
secured two contracts with National Geospatial commercial services. Of note, 90% of all commercial
Intelligence Agency, worth a combined $34 SmallSats built between 2012 and 2017 were
million. With an estimated annual revenue of manufactured by U.S.-based companies. ISS-based
$64.4 million, and value of over $1 billion, Planet CubeSat deployment, along with various NASA/ISS
operates a fleet of more than 175 satellites and programs and initiatives, helped demonstrate how a
employs more than 470 people as of 2018. new platform could foster a dramatic disruption that
reinvigorated an established market. In that sense,
the ISS performed its mission well—to be an innovator
and a locus for experimentation.
Human Earth Observation Innovative Global Economic
Health and Disaster Technology Education Development
Response of Space
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