Evaluation of the Use of CubeSats in Atmospheric Profiling

The atmospheric science community is interested in using small satellites called CubeSats to collect atmospheric data. The use of CubeSats is steadily increasing and offers a less expensive means of collecting critical atmospheric data to increase the fidelity of existing climate models than traditional sized satellites. Due to the increased use of CubeSats, and the importance of the atmospheric data they are intended to collect, the risks involved need to be well understood and mitigated to the maximum extent possible. The atmospheric science community's interest in using CubeSats poses the question of what size CubeSat is sufficient to collect the required atmospheric data. In an attempt to answer this question the benefits and risks involved in using different size CubeSats will be addressed.