Evolving capabilities and limitations of future CubeSat missions

The potential of CubeSats to conduct scientific and telecommunications missions relies on the development of miniaturized payloads, e.g., sensors for remote sensing such as Thermal Infrared (TIR), Ultraviolet (UV), X-ray imagers, for biological experiments, or for communications, etc., and the development of a number of basic techniques and technologies. In this chapter, an overview of them is presented, highlighting the current limitations, and the prospects for future systems like: (1) the electrical power system, (2) the on-board computer and the command and data handling system, (3) the communications system, (4) the attitude determination and control system, (5) the orbit control system, (6) the temperature control system, (7) the deployable mechanisms used in large solar panels, solar sails, and electromagnetic antennas, and (8) the use of reliable and radiation tolerant electronics. In terms of miniature payloads for small satellites, the current status and future trends on payloads for Earth Observation, for Broadband Telecommunications (including 5G and IoT), and other payloads and systems based on Software Defined Radios are revised. The chapter concludes with some general thoughts and considerations on how the field of CubeSats at large can evolve in the coming years.