CommCube 1 and 2: A CubeSat series of missions to enhance communication capabilities for CubeSat

Abstract

CubeSats and small satellites are becoming a way to explore space and to perform science more affordably. As the goals for these spacecraft become more ambitious in terms of physical distance (moving from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) or further), and of the amount of data to relay back to Earth (from Kbits to Mbits), the communication systems currently implemented will not be able to fully support those missions. Two of the possible strategies to solve this issue are the following: 1. Increasing the time available to communicate to the ground by using existing satellite networks as communication relays. 2. Equipping the satellite with a more powerful antenna compatible with the volume and mass constraints imposed by CubeSats and small satellites.