CubeSats are a class of small satellites with a 10 cm (3.9 in) cube form factor. CubeSats have a mass of no more than 2 kg per unit and often use commercially available (COTS) components for their electronics and structure. CubeSats are deployed into orbit from the International Space Station or launched as secondary payloads on launch vehicles. As of December 2023, more than 2,300 CubeSats have been launched.

CubeSats are available in several sizes, based on the standard CubeSat “unit” referred to as 1U.

CubeSat EXA Kratos 1B Platform. This is a small-diameter (1U) CubeSat satellite, but unique because it is based on a deployable solar array, resulting in higher electrical power output for a 1U CubeSat. It has also been proven, with two similar satellites launched in 2013 and still in operation.

It also utilizes a magnetorquer concept on each side for attitude control, and uses an embedded antenna mounted behind the solar array, making the design simpler and lighter.

This satellite is suitable for learning because it utilizes several unique technologies that are beneficial to students.