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SOCEM: Sub-Orbital CubeSat Experimental Mission will attempt, for the first time, to eject CubeSats in space from a sub-orbital sounding rocket.1 2 This technology demonstration flight will eject two CubeSats from a standard 17-inch diameter NASA sounding rocket. Two student-designed and student-built CubeSats will be ejected as part of the mission, a 2U CubeSat ADAMASat (Antenna Deployment and Mono-filament Actuator Satellite) developed by Kentucky Space to test CubeSat actuator designs and a 1U CubeSat developed by Cal Poly as a test-bed for PolySat bus technologies. The CubeSats will be ejected perpendicular to the direction of flight without requiring a de-spin maneuver providing the CubeSats with several minutes in space before re-entry and impact in the Atlantic Ocean. The SOCEM flight is scheduled for launch on 21 January 2010. Success in this effort could provide a robust ride-share technology for future NASA sounding rocket missions.

The development of the CubeSat standard, a picosatellite standard, has become a tool that encourages engineering collaboration, trains students with real-world satellite experience, and provides technology advancement in the aerospace industry. The Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD), in conjuction with the CubeSat standard, plays a key role in providing access to space for CubeSats. Developing satellites at the CubeSat level highlight the increasing opportunities for access to space while yielding quicker development times. The upcoming launches demonstrate the growing interest of universities, companies, and government organizations to develop CubeSats to perform valuable scientific experiments and missions. The educational benefits of CubeSat development are emphasized by providing an ideal training ground for future scientists and engineers. I. Background