The Radio Aurora Explorer (RAX) mission has proven that scientific information can be gathered from a CubeSat, which is a small satellite encased within a box and attached to a spacecraft to achieve orbit. The scientific data gathered by RAX has been published in peer-reviewed science journals.
CubeSats are sparking innovation and providing easier access to space, according to Aerospace Engineering Professor Jamie Cutler. The value of CubeSats is their ability to test technology and get into space at a low price point and with little risk involved, says Cutler.
ABOUT THE PROFESSOR: James Cutler is an assistant professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Michigan. His research interests center on space systems – a multidisciplinary approach to enabling future space capability with particular emphasis on novel, nanosatellite missions. He is developing next generation communication capability and robust space computing infrastructure. He is the director of the Michigan Exploration Laboratory.
