Disposable Borg?

I recently read an article in Popular Science called "A New Standard" by Jacob Ward about small satellites called CubeSats. CubeSats are cubical in design and are small disposable satellites that have enough room for the necessary guts to do experiments in space, such as weather monitoring or taking photos of our planet.

Why are these little devices important? Well, they are considerably less expensive to build and they can "piggyback on larger, more expensive missions," observes Ward. This is a dream design for students who want to experiment with satellites.

The design is being tested and a forum is being maintained at cubesat.org. Just recently seven CubeSats left Earth to do some satellite work as passengers of the Vega rocket that launched from the Guiana Space Centre. Each CubeSat has its own mission, from testing radiation effects to studying the gravity gradient.

The satellites are not big. According to Ward's article they will fit in the trunk of a car. And the cost? About $100, 000 to build which seems like a lot, but is considered a low dollar figure when satellites can cost $400-million.

The efficiency of these little devices and their cubical design reminded me of the Borg from Star Trek. One has to wonder how Captain Jean Luc Picard or Captain Kathyrn Janeway would react if they traveled back in time to present day and there were hundreds of "cube-shaped" devices orbiting their home planet.

I always find the Borg ships stand out because they are not sleek and sexy in design like a lot of the Federation ships or warlike and menacing like a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. Yet their ships (essentially huge boxes flying around in space) quickly built a reputation that left other ships dashing out of sight or raising shields and preparing for battle. When a ship is caught on sensor and is described as "cube-shaped," panic or worry quickly sets in. Of course, other designs surfaced as the Borg story-lines developed, but the cube shape is the one that the Federation first encountered.

While the cubical design of a Borg ship seemed to contradict the efficiency and perfection that is so important to the Borg, it would appear the cubical shape does have its advantages. The design of the CubeSat is a prime example. I think the Borg would approve of the CubeSat's efficiency. They, however, would frown upon the notion that cheaper efficient satellites will democratize space, as Ward suggests in his article. Yet I am sure they would warm up to the idea of cube-shaped satellites orbiting Earth to maintain constant surveillance. Is it time to raise shields yet, Captain?

Photo from Wikipedia by Bjørn Pedersen, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway