A CubeSat is a class of miniaturized satellite with a form factor of 10 cm
(3.9 in) cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than 2 kg (4.4 lb) per unit,
and often use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for their electronics
and structure. CubeSats are put into orbit by deployers on the International
Space Station, or launched as secondary payloads on a launch vehicle. As of
August 2021, more than 1,600 CubeSats have been launched.