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Cloudsat: Iot Approach To Small Satellite Ground Infrastructure, Brian Zufelt

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Over the last decade, the cost of space access has dramatically decreased with the creation of the CubeSat standard. The CubeSat standard defines the structural requirements for an on-orbit deployer and satellite to be placed into orbit. The average cost of creating a space mission with the CubeSat standard can range from $200 thousand to over $3 million. This lower cost has allowed many Universities, and small businesses to create their own space programs. However, a significant portion of the investment for any new space asset is the development of the ground system to communicate with the satellite. These costs …