Nanosatellites, CubeSats of the NewSpace Era for Space Observation 2 presents the entire life cycle of a CubeSat, from the design phase to orbital operations. The CubeSat nanosatellite carries instruments designed for space observation and study, integrated into a mechanical architecture that supports the control and communication electronics. This mechatronic system is optimized to ensure maximum robustness and reliability under operational conditions. Internal couplings within the satellite’s architecture, as well as external interactions with the space environment – whether thermal, vibrational, electromechanical, thermomechanical, electro-thermomechanical, or related to electromagnetic compatibility – are modeled using the finite element method. Environmental testing such as HALT/HASS, based on experience from previous missions and simulation results, allows for the integration of a reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) approach. This book also traces the evolution of our knowledge and methods regarding light, an essential payload component and luminous phenomena from Antiquity to the end of the Middle Ages, and discusses current advances in quantum optics, including wave-particle duality, quantum entanglement of photons, and vacuum fluctuations, sources of technological innovations.
