Distributed CubeSat mission concepts

This chapter overviews the key mission concepts associated with distributed CubeSat missions and outlines technical challenges entailed for key-related technical domains. Distributed CubeSat systems are mission architectures enabling new functionalities for CubeSat systems and providing design strategies to complement or enhance missions employing larger satellite platforms through interoperability. The chapter provides a brief description of the concepts of clusters, constellations, fractions, federations, series, swarms, and trains. It provides an overview of enabling technologies associated to distributed CubeSat systems. While most of these concepts have not yet been demonstrated in orbit with CubeSat systems, they are certainly an area of interest for further consideration in the development of future CubeSat platforms. This chapter aims at providing a broad overview and understanding of opportunities and key technical challenges associated with distributed CubeSat systems.