Cool cubes are changing the way we play in space

A tiny cube, slightly smaller than a loaf of bread, is the new manna to heaven, as the number of nano-satellites being hurled into orbit is increasing substantially.Nano-satellites are small satellites weighing between 1 kg and 10 kg. CubeSats are box-shaped versions of nano-satellites. They are very light compared to the traditional satellites which can weigh anything up to a few tons.Pretty much in the vein of mobile phone hand-sets, satellites have also become smaller and better. They cost less but have the capability of bigger satellites of the past.In their short existence nano-satellites have seen a remarkable uptake globally among universities and recent business start-ups. The exciting era of nano-satellites has begun.Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, National University of Science and Technology and the Universities of the Free State, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Pretoria, Western Cape, Witwatersrand, South Africa