Editing CubeSat (section)

===QB50===
QB50 is a proposed international network of 50 CubeSats for multi-point, ''in-situ'' measurements in the lower [[thermosphere]] (90–350&nbsp;km) and re-entry research. QB50 is an initiative of the [[Von Karman Institute]] and is funded by the European Commission as part of the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). Double-unit (2U) CubeSats (10×10×20&nbsp;cm) are developed, with one unit (the 'functional' unit) providing the usual satellite functions and the other unit (the 'science' unit) accommodating a set of standardised sensors for lower thermosphere and re-entry research. 35 CubeSats are envisaged to be provided by universities from 22 countries around the world, among them 4 are from the US, 4 from China, 4 from France, 3 from Australia and 3 from South Korea.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://upload.qb50.eu/listCubeSat/ |title=QB50 CubeSat List |access-date=20 April 2017 |archive-date=17 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517005648/https://upload.qb50.eu/listCubeSat/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> Ten 2U or 3U CubeSats are foreseen to serve for in-orbit technology demonstration of new space technologies.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the QB50 CubeSat was released on February 15, 2012. Two "precursor" QB50 satellites were launched aboard a [[Dnepr (rocket)|Dnepr rocket]] on June 19, 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://amsat-uk.org/2014/05/04/two-qb50-satellites-with-ham-radio-payloads-delivered/ |title=Two QB50 satellites with ham radio payloads delivered |publisher=AMSAT-UK |date=4 May 2014}}</ref>
All 50 CubeSats were supposed to be launched together on a single [[Tsyklon-4|Cyclone-4]] launch vehicle in February 2016,<ref>{{cite web |title=QB50 |url=https://www.qb50.eu/index.php/schedule |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402091248/https://www.qb50.eu/index.php/schedule |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-04-02 |publisher=[[Von Karman Institute]] |access-date=2015-03-30}}</ref> but due to the unavailability of the launch vehicle, 36 satellites were launched aboard [[Cygnus CRS OA-7]] on 18 April 2017 and subsequently deployed from the [[ISS]].<ref>{{cite web |title=QB50 launch campaigns |url=https://www.qb50.eu/index.php/launch-campaigns |access-date=7 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220081422/https://www.qb50.eu/index.php/launch-campaigns |archive-date=20 December 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.qb50.eu/index.php/news/78-qb50-iss-ready-to-be-launched.html |title=QB50-ISS CubeSats ready to be launched |access-date=2020-07-15 |archive-date=2020-07-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729004831/https://www.qb50.eu/index.php/news/78-qb50-iss-ready-to-be-launched.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> A dozen other CubeSats were manifested on the [[PSLV-XL]] C38 mission in May 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/pslv-xl.htm |title=PSLV-XL |work=Gunter's Space Page |first=Gunter |last=Krebs |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref>{{update inline|date=December 2018}}