The University of Surrey embarked upon the design of its first experimental microsatcllite in 1978 and UoSAT-1 was launched by NASA in 1981-since then a further 13 low-cost yet highly sophisticated microsatellites have been built and launched into low earth orbit. The UoSAT missions have demonstrated that microsatellites can play a useful role in supporting specialised communications, earth observation, small-scale space science and in-orbit technology verification missions.

Inspec keywords: space communication links; satellite communication

Other keywords: UoSAT-1; minisatellites; microsatellites; University of Surrey; UoSAT missions; inorbit technology verification missions; small-scale space science; low-earth orbit; NASA; earth observation

Subjects: Space communication systems