[mhandley]

Things can only be cheap if you mass produce them. That tends to require standardization of components, and inevitably standardized components are a compromise between requirements, where up until now, saving mass was a critical requirement. If you don't have to care nearly so much about mass and volume, then that opens up many avenues for much cheaper standard satellite components.

[tuatoru]

I'm disappointed that you still can't order ten cubesats from Shenzen Satellite Supply Co via AliExpress.