Cubesat Standard
A CubeSat is a satellite with 10 cubic centimeters and with a mass of up to 1,33 kg.
Started in 1999, the CubeSat Project began as a collaborative effort between Prof. Jordi Puig- Suari at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, and Prof. Bob Twiggs at Stanford University's Space Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL). The purpose of the project is to provide a standard for design of picosatellites to reduce cost and development time, increase accessibility to space, and sustain frequent launches.
The Poly-PicoSatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD) is Cal Poly’s standardized CubeSat deployment system. It is capable of carrying three standard CubeSats and serves as the interface between the CubeSats and the Launch Vehicle. The P-POD is a rectangular box with a door and a spring mechanism. Once the release mechanism of the P-POD is actuated by a deployment signal sent from the Launch Vehicle, a set of torsion springs at the door hinge force the door open and the CubeSats are deployed by the main spring gliding on its rails and the P-PODs rails. CubeSats slide along a series of rails during ejection into orbit. CubeSats will be compatible with the P-POD to ensure safety and success of the mission. Image below.
As stated above, the cubesat is a cube with 10x10x10 cubic centimeters with a mass of up to 1,33 kg. The Axis definitions are on the image below.
The cubesat coordinate system is located in the geometric center of the cubesat. No external components other than the rail shall touch the inside of the P-POD. The cubesat deployement switch (kill switch) is located at the -Z face.