CubeSat Architecture and Engineering Fundamentals

Learn how a small satellite is put together, from the 10 cm structure to the radio link back to Earth, and finish with a certificate you can add to your profile.

Enroll in the course → See inside a CubeSat

One unit (1U)About a 10 cm cube

Typical orbit400 to 600 km, low Earth orbit

Time per orbitRoughly 90 to 95 minutes

Built from 10 cm units

A CubeSat is measured in units. One unit is a small cube, and larger spacecraft stack or widen those units so they still fit a standard launch deployer. Knowing the size class sets your mass, power and volume limits before any design starts.

Fig. 1Size classes, front view and footprint (amber), same scale

Inside the spacecraft

Power, computing, radio, pointing and the payload sit on stacked boards held by aluminium rails. The course walks through how each layer is chosen, sized and connected to the next.

Fig. 2Exploded view of a typical stack, not to scale

How the pieces talk

Subsystems share a data bus for commands and telemetry and a separate power distribution line fed by solar panels and the battery. Getting both right is the core of the system architecture.

Fig. 3Subsystem architecture, data and power paths

From orbit to ground station

A CubeSat in low Earth orbit passes over a ground station for a short window each orbit. Link budgets, antennas and scheduling decide how much data makes it home in that time.

Fig. 4Orbit and ground link, not to scale

What you will learn

A fundamentals-first path through the engineering inside every CubeSat.

Standard

The CubeSat standard

Unit sizes, deployers and the design rules that shape every mission.

Mission

System architecture

Turn objectives into requirements, budgets and a system block diagram.

Subsystem

Power and computing

Solar panels, batteries, power budgets and the flight computer.

Subsystem

Communications

Radio links, antennas, link budgets and ground segment basics.

Environment

Attitude, orbit, thermal

How a CubeSat points, orbits and handles the temperature swings of space.

Delivery

Integration and testing

Assembly, environmental testing and preparing the spacecraft for flight.

Follow a mission from idea to orbit

The same sequence real small satellite teams follow.

ConceptGoals and payload
RequirementsWhat it must do
DesignArchitecture and budgets
IntegrationBoards into a stack
TestVibration, thermal, function
LaunchDeploy and operate

Who this course is for

Anyone who wants a clear, structured introduction to small satellite engineering.

Engineering studentsAdd a space systems topic to your portfolio.
Electronics designersSee where your circuits fit inside a spacecraft.
Makers and hobbyistsPlan a small satellite project with confidence.
Start-up teamsShare one vocabulary across hardware and software.

Build the electronics skills behind every satellite

Every spacecraft starts with sound circuits and PCBs. These free tools and guides from AeroTronicsLab help while you prepare.

Ohm’s Law CalculatorVoltage, current and resistance→ Voltage Divider CalculatorSensor and reference dividers→ LED Series Resistor CalculatorResistor values for indicator LEDs→ 555 Timer CalculatorFrequency, duty cycle, timing→ Capacitor Code CalculatorDecode capacitor markings→ PCB Trace Width CalculatorIPC-2221 current and temperature rise→ SMT PCB Assembly ProcessKitting through functional testing→ STM32F103C8T6 OverviewThe popular Blue Pill microcontroller→ Electronics TutorialsCircuits, PCBs and embedded design→ Contact AeroTronicsLabQuestions about your project→

Get certified in CubeSat engineering

Join the course and learn the architecture and engineering fundamentals behind small satellite missions.

Enroll in the course →