I‐1

This chapter explains the launch history of active nanosatellites from 1958 through 2017. It shows the first nanosatellites put into orbit, or beyond, from the start of the Space Age through 1968. The Large Space Era started in 1968 and ended by around 1996. No active nanosatellites were launched, but microsatellites continued at an average rate of 18.9 per year. This was a period of government‐funded space programs and large commercial geosynchronous communications satellites. Spacecraft became ever more capable during the Large Space era, but electronic and actuator technologies were still too primitive to enable active nanosatellites. The chapter lists satellites from two nanosatellite‐class “little LEO” communications constellations in the New Space era (1997 through the present); AprizeSat, which includes LatinSat A through LatinSat D; and SaudiComsat.