There is a revolution coming coming for low cost small payload launching.
CubeCab will use standard Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) technologies to enable less expensive and quicker launch platforms without compromising quality in order to simplify processes and bring down overall costs to launch for the customer.
For example, rather than complex cryogenic fuels and their associated hardware and insulation, our fuels are room-temperature storable. Because our rockets are small, we can 3D print most of their components in few pieces, keeping the parts count down and reliability up. And our air launch platform is the time-tested F-104, in the high-altitude mission profile it was designed for.
A CubeSat is a miniature satellite which offers all of the standard functions of a normal satellite at a fraction of the size and weight, making them cheap to build and operate, and with CubeCab, easy to get into orbit. Because they obey a common technical specification they’re easy to build and parts can be easily purchased off the shelf, and because the specification is scalable in size and weight they can accomodate a wide variety of equipment, making it almost certain you’ll be able to construct a satellite to suit your needs. The CubeSat is a proven design boasting hundreds of successful deployments. With the cost of construction often being under $10,000 it’s easy to see why so many universities and small businesses are building them.
But even if you have the perfect satellite, it’s useless if you have can’t launch it. The launch costs far more than the satellite. Worse, most current launch providers only manufacture large rockets hauling many payloads at a time, requiring you to wait 1-2 years to launch and fill out time consuming paperwork, and they dictate your satellite’s final orbit, assuming they allow you to ride at all (if you are testing satellite propulsion technology, or anything that could possibly endanger the other payloads on the ride, good luck with that). CubeCab will have your CubeSat up in a few months, using a small rocket launching just your satellite to the orbit you specify, saving you time, paperwork, holding costs, and grief. The price of the launch itself is a bit cheaper ($250,000 for us, or around $300,000 or more for the competition), but they make the rest of your project far more affordable.
Cubecab is developing theirour launcher, which they anticipate will enter service around 2019. They intend to place hundreds of CubeSats into orbit per year. They will focus on 3U CubeSats, they will make it less expensive and faster to get your payload to orbit.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
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