(
CUBE-based
SATellite) A satellite in the shape of a cube roughly four inches in each dimension and weighing three pounds. As of 2025, there are roughly 1,500 active CubeSats in orbit. Developed at the turn of the century originally for academic projects, CubeSats today are used mostly for commercial projects and testing. The lower cost of a CubeSat enables experiments that would otherwise be too expensive. See
miniaturized satellite.