Recent milestones in space exploration highlight the growing importance of CubeSat testing. Behind the success of NASA’s InSight Mission stood two suitcase-sized CubeSats, MarCO A and MarCO B. Nicknamed “EVE” and “WALL-E,” these small satellites played a critical role by relaying real-time data and images during the Mars landing. Their performance demonstrated how proper CubeSat testing enables small satellites to deliver mission-critical results in deep-space environments.
By providing live communication through experimental radios and antennas, the CubeSats transformed how mission teams approach communications for future planetary exploration. Their success reinforced the need for reliable CubeSat testing to validate performance before launch.
The CubeSat Revolution
The role CubeSats played in the InSight mission reflects the rapid growth of the CubeSat industry. Because CubeSats cost less to develop and launch, organizations across many sectors now participate in space-based research and data collection. This accessibility continues to fuel what many call the “democratization of space.”
John Thornhill of Financial Review describes how small satellites support diverse applications:
“Farmers can use the imagery to estimate crop yields around the world, investors are counting the number of oil storage tanks in China and estimating consumption trends, while human rights campaigners have used it to map the flight of the Rohingya population from Myanmar. On a daily basis, we can now study the shrinkage of glaciers, the expansion of cities, the deforestation of remote wildernesses and the devastation of armed conflict in intense detail.” (Thornhill, 2018)
As CubeSat adoption grows, CubeSat testing becomes increasingly essential to ensure reliability across these varied applications.
Affordable, Accessible Space Simulation Testing
For organizations developing CubeSats, thorough testing and validation remain critical. Satellite components must survive extreme vacuum levels, temperature swings, and pressure changes encountered in space. Historically, space simulation systems required large budgets and custom facilities. That barrier has begun to disappear.
LACO now engineers affordable, scalable space simulation systems that support CubeSat testing without sacrificing performance. These systems allow organizations to validate components early and confidently, regardless of project size.
“We’ve seen an explosion in requests for small thermal vacuum (TVAC) systems,” says Brad Neumann, Applications Engineer. “Our TVAC platform scales easily to match specific CubeSat testing requirements while remaining accessible and user-friendly.”
Proven Space Simulation for Mission Success
LACO has supported numerous missions by designing custom space simulation systems for both large programs and small research teams. These systems enable comprehensive testing, processing, and validation, including:
- Bake-out
- Flight readiness and reliability testing
- Calibration and performance evaluation
- Environmental simulation
- Low orbit, deep space, and custom environments
To achieve this flexibility, LACO integrates platens, shrouds, chillers, and controls into a unified thermal vacuum system. Using the HVC-3500 Thermal Vacuum Controller, engineers can create precise test recipes that control temperature and pressure throughout the test cycle. This level of control allows CubeSat testing to closely replicate real mission conditions.
By working directly with LACO’s applications engineers, customers receive a system tailored to their exact testing objectives—without compromise.
Learn more
- Custom Vacuum Solutions
- Thermal Vacuum Systems for Space Simulation
- HVC-3500 Thermal Vacuum Controller
Contact Us
How can we help ensure flight success? Talk to us about the needs of your space-bound products such as micro and nano-satellites, CubeSats, camera systems, flight hardware, and other instrumentation.
Sources
Thornhill, J. (2018, 02 28). How CubeSat satellites are changing the world (and your privacy). Retrieved 12 11, 2018, from Financial Review: https://www.afr.com/technology/how-cubesat-satellites-are-changing-the-world-and-your-privacy-20180220-h0wco
NASA CubeSats MarCo 1 and Marco 2 [Online image]. (1919). Retrieved December 13, 2018 from https://www.timesofisrael.com/nasa-launches-insight-spacecraft-to-mars-to-dig-down-deep/
The illustration shown in the header was made available by NASA on March 29, 2018. It shows the twin Mars Cube One (MarCO) spacecraft flying over Mars with Earth and the sun in the distance. The MarCOs will be the first CubeSats – a kind of modular, mini-satellite – flown into deep space. They’re designed to fly along behind NASA’s InSight lander on its cruise to Mars. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP)
