back to article Europe's Asteroid prang probe plan calls for cubesats

The European Space Agency (ESA) has decided to include cubesats in the design of its planned Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM). Cubesats are 10cm3 modules that mostly use commercial-off-the-shelf electronics. Most don't include any propulsion, instead relying on being released into space to do their jobs. That approach makes the …

  1. Nameless Dread
    Headmaster

    ... 10cm^3 modules ...

    10cc ? Rubber Bullets ?

    Perhaps you mean 10 x 10 x 10 cm = 100 cm^3

    1. Sandtitz Silver badge
      Headmaster

      Re: ... 10cm^3 modules ...

      Perhaps you mean 10cm x 10cm x 10 cm = 1000 cm^3?

      1 dm^3 or 1 litre would also be acceptable answers.

      1. dotdavid

        Re: ... 10cm^3 modules ...

        What's that in double-decker buses?

      2. It wasnt me

        Re: ... 10cm^3 modules ...

        "1 dm^3 or 1 litre would also be acceptable answers."

        Not round here it wouldn't. IT would need to be 1.7362 Bulgarian airbags.

        1. AbelSoul
          Trollface

          Re: IT would need to be 1.7362 Bulgarian airbags.

          Regular or Olympic sized?

          1. TRT Silver badge

            Re: IT would need to be 1.7362 Bulgarian airbags.

            Olympic sized Bulgarian airbags are smaller than standard sized ones, IMHO after watching the 2012 gymnastics.

    2. ravenviz Silver badge
      Boffin

      Re: ... 10cm^3 modules ...

      I suspect it means 'ten centimetres cubed' rather than 'ten cubic centimetres'c

  2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    1,000 ccm

    in Reg units:

    Walnut: 11.9366

    Chicken's egg: 5.4567

    Grapefruit: 1.9099

    Bulgarian airbag (C-cup Posh Spice): 1.7362

    Bulgarian funbag (DD-cup Jordan): 0.5841

    Football: 0.1725

    Olympic-sized swimming pool: rounded to 0

  3. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    In 1950ies / 1960ies SF stories

    they would send a big spaceship with a large crew equipped with shovels and pickaxes...

    Don't really know where I'm going with this, must be the flu medication. Anyway, the cubes are a good idea.

  4. Blitheringeejit
    Coat

    Didymos?

    Is this pair of asteroids to be found in orbit around Knotty Ash?

    Mine's the one with the ticking stick in the pocket...

  5. TRT Silver badge

    So...

    does one cube have little pins in it that stick out? And another one might play The Birdy Song repeatedly, or spew fire, or create localised rain storms? So long as they last longer than 47 minutes anyway.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Answer

    Yet more rubbish in orbit

    1. druck Silver badge

      Re: Answer

      Well they aren't rubbish (while they're still working), but an increasing number of small satellites certainly isn't going to make things any easier to manage up there.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Answer

        Cubesats so far launched are mostly in low earth orbit; they'll re-enter and burn up between 5 and 10 years after launch.

  7. annodomini2
    Boffin

    Technically they won't be in Earth orbit.

  8. Captain DaFt

    "a pair of asteroids called Didymos"

    Aw diddums, look! We've got you some shiny new blocks to play with!

  9. Martin Budden Silver badge

    "...and landing a CubeSat for seismic monitoring.”

    They are going to fit propellant, attitude control, landing gear, seismic monitor, transmitter, and battery in a 10cm cube. I'm impressed.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "...and landing a CubeSat for seismic monitoring.”

      Most don't include any propulsion < read this bit (called "the story") before responding

      They are going to fit propellant, attitude control, landing gear, seismic monitor, transmitter, and battery in a 10cm cube. I'm impressed.

      1. Martin Budden Silver badge

        Re: "...and landing a CubeSat for seismic monitoring.”

        Most don't = some do. And if it is going to manoeuvre it's way onto the surface of an asteroid, then this one does. So leave out the snarky RTFA comments please.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: "...and landing a CubeSat for seismic monitoring.”

          I think "landing" in this context may be a euphemism for "impacting".

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