SMALL SPACECRAFT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
NASA SPACE TECHNOLOGY MISSION DIRECTORATE
NOVEMBER 2013
ANDREW PETRO, PROGRAM EXECUTIVE
BRUCE YOST, PROGRAM MANAGER
DR. GREGORY DORAIS
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SPACE TECHNOLOGY MISSION DIRECTORATE
NINE PROGRAMS
Early Stage Innovation
Game Changing
Development
Space Technology
Research Grants
Centennial
Challenges
Technology
Demonstration
Missions
NASA Innovative
Advanced
Concepts (NIAC)
Small Business Innovation
Research & Small
Business Technology
Transfer
(SBIR/STTR)
Small Spacecraft
Technology
Center Innovation
Fund
Flight
Opportunities
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PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
Advance the capabilities of small spacecraft to support NASA
missions in science, exploration and space operations
• to accelerate the introduction of new technologies and
capabilities
• to perform missions or examine phenomena not possible
otherwise
• to unleash NASA’
’s unique capabilities and assets into the
already vibrant small spacecraft community
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SMALLSAT TECHNOLOGY
PARTNERSHIPS
• Cooperative agreements with US
colleges and universities to develop
and/or demonstrate new technologies
and capabilities for small spacecraft in
collaboration with NASA.
• One to two year projects up to
$100,000 per year, per university (up
to $150,000 if more than one
university) up to 1.0 FTE in NASA labor
per year, per project
• 13 Projects selected on August 8, 2013
17 different universities and colleges 6
NASA Center partners
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SMALLSAT TECHNOLOGY
PARTNERSHIPS
COMMUNICATIONS
• High Rate Cubesat X-band/S-band Communication System
PI: Scott Palo University Of Colorado
NASA Partner: Goddard Space Flight Center
• Space Optical Communications Using Laser Beam Amplification
PI: Govind Agrawal University Of Rochester
NASA Partner: Ames Research Center
• Development of Novel Integrated Antennas for Cubesats
PI: David Jackson University Of Houston
NASA Partner: Johnson Space Center
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SMALLSAT TECHNOLOGY
PARTNERSHIPS
GUIDANCE, NAVIGATION & CONTROL
• Smallsat Precision Navigation With Low-Cost MEMS IMU Swarms
PI: John Christian West Virginia University
Partner: Marquette University
NASA Partner: Johnson Space Center
• Cubesat Autonomous Rendezvous & Docking Software
PI: Glenn Lightsey University Of Texas
NASA Partner: Johnson Space Center
• Radiation Tolerant, FPGA-based Smallsat Computer System
PI: Brock LaMeres Montana State University
NASA Partner: Goddard Space Flight Center
• An Integrated Precision Attitude Determination and Control System
PI: Norman FitzCoy University Of Florida
NASA Partner: Langley Research Center
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SMALLSAT TECHNOLOGY
PARTNERSHIPS
PROPULSION
• Propulsion System and Orbit Maneuver Integration in Cubesats
PI: Jennifer Hudson Western Michigan University
NASA Partner: Jet Propulsion Lab
• Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array for Picosat Propulsion and
Thermal Control
PI: Alina Alexeenko Purdue University
NASA Partner: Goddard Space Flight Center
POWER
• Smallsat Low Mass, Extreme Low Temperature Energy Storage
PI: Sharlene Katz California State University –Northridge
NASA Partner: Jet Propulsion Lab
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SMALLSAT TECHNOLOGY
PARTNERSHIPS
SCIENCE INSTRUMENT CAPABILITIES
• Compressive Sensing for Advanced Imaging and Navigation
PI: Richard Kurwitz Texas A&M University
NASA Partner: Langley Research Center
• Mini Fourier-Transform Spectrometer for Cubesat-Based Remote
Sensing
PI: John Allen Appalachian State
University Partner: University of Maryland -Baltimore County
NASA Partner: Goddard Space Flight Center
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
• Printing the Complete Cubesat
PI: Craig Kief University Of New Mexico
Partners: University of Texas -El Paso and Drake State Technical
College
NASA Partner: Glenn Research Center
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SUCCESSFUL PHONESAT 1.0/2.0B MISSIONS
APRIL 21 – 26, 2013
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PHONESAT 2.4 AND 2.5 MISSIONS
Mission Description
Center: ARC
PhoneSat 2.4 and 2.5 are twin missions that
demonstrate a very-low-cost Attitude Determination
and Control System made from commercial grade
parts will survive and perform well in Low Earth Orbit.
PhoneSat 2.4 and 2.5 also demonstrate in-space an
inexpensive S-Band Radio modem and Android
Debug Bridge – an element of the Android OS SDK –
for data transfer and command of a consumer grade
smartphone serving as the main satellite controller.
Description
Spacecraft Specifications and Orbits
Launch Schedule (CY)
•
•
•
•
•
•
2012
PhoneSat 2.4
Mass: 1.12 kg
Orbit: 500km circular, 40.5°inclination
Size: 1U – 10cm x 10cm x 10cm
Orbit Life: less than 2.5 years
PhoneSat 2.4
Launch
Launches
Mass: 1.12 kg
Orbit: 325km circular, 51.6°inclination
1U Size: 10cm x 10cm x 10cm
Orbit Life: less than 2 months
2014
PhoneSat 2.5
Launch
•
PhoneSat 2.4 will launch as a secondary
payload on the ORS-3 mission from Wallops
Flight Facility, scheduled November 19, 2013.
•
PhoneSat 2.5 will launch as a secondary
payload on the SpaceX CRS3 mission from
Kennedy Space Center, scheduled for February
2014.
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PhoneSat 2.5
•
•
•
•
2013
EDISON DEMONSTRATION OF
SMALLSAT NETWORKS (EDSN)
Project Summary
Center: ARC
Project Manager: Deborah Westley
Partners:
• Montana State University – Payload provider
• Santa Clara University – Ground Station
operator
Montana State
University
EPISEM Payload
EDSN
Spacecraft
Assembly
Description: The EDSN Mission will launch a
swarm of 8 low-cost small satellites and
demonstrate the operation of an intra-swarm
communication link and multi-point sensing
measurements.
Concept of Operations
Schedule (CY)
2012
2013
2014
ATP
PDR
CDR
FRR
ORS Launch
Launch
Mission Ops
ORS Super Strypi (ORS-4)
Launched from PMRF
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ISARA - REFLECTARRAY ANTENNA FOR
HIGH-BANDWIDTH COMMUNICATIONS
Project Summary
Center: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
PI: Richard Hodges
PM: Biren Shah
Subcontractors:
• Pumpkin, Inc. (spacecraft bus)
• NRL (flight software)
Objective:
• Demonstrate a high bandwidth Ka-band data
downlink system for cubesats
Concept of Operations
• One 3U cubesat employs a large, deployable
solar array that doubles as a Ka-band
reflectenna providing 100 Mps of data downlink
capability.
Solar array (top)
Ka-band
reflectarray
(bottom)
Schedule (CY)
2013
2014
2015
ATP
SRR
PDR
CDR
SIR
Launch
Launch
• Launch planned for CY2014 (selected by CSLI)
• LEO from 300km to 700km at 51.7°is acceptable.
• GTO orbit would also be considered.
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OPTICAL COMMUNICATION AND
NAVIGATION FOR CUBESATS (OCSD)
Project Summary
Contractor: Aerospace Corp.
PI: Siegfried Janson
Subcontractors:
• N/A
Objective:
• Demonstrate radar ranging, optical downlink, cold
gas propulsion, and cross-track motion sensing
technologies on a cubesat proximity operations
mission.
Concept of Operations
Schedule (CY)
2013
• Two 1.5U cubesats execute formation flying and
rendezvous operations using radar, optical flow
sensor and differential drag techniques.
• Demonstrate laser-comm crosslink and downlink.
2014
2015
ATP
SRR
PDR
CDR
FRR
Launch
Launch
• Launch is planned for mid CY2015 (selected by
CLSI)
• LEO at 500km is sufficient.
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CUBESAT PROXIMITY OPERATIONS
DEMONSTRATION (CPOD)
Project Summary
Contractor: Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems LLC
PI: Scott MacGillivray/Tyvak
Subcontractors:
• 406 Aerospace
• Applied Defense Solutions
• Analytical Graphics Inc.
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis
Obispo
Two 3U CubeSats will demonstrate rendezvous,
proximity operations, docking and servicing, and
formation flight over a 1-year nominal mission.
Concept of Operations
Schedule (CY)
2013
2014
2015
ATP
PDR
CDR
FRR
Launch
Launch
• Launch is planned for second quarter of CY2015
(selected by CSLI).
• Orbit inclination > 30° for ground coverage
considerations and altitude should nominally
support 1 year of on-orbit operations.
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FLIGHT PROJECT TIMELINE
2014
2013
2015
EDSN
ISARA
PhoneSat
1.0/2.0b
PhoneSat
Demonstrating use of
a smartphone as the
spacecraft control and
data handling system
- yielding extremely
low cost satellites for
many uses.
Led by NASA Ames
Research Center
PhoneSat 2.4
EDSN (Edison
Demonstration of
SmallSat Networks
Demonstrating a small
spacecraft swarm (8
cubesats) operating as a
network for distributed
sensing &
communication
Led by NASA Ames
Research Center
Launches: 2013/2014
Lifecycle Cost: $13M
Launch: 2014
PhoneSat 2.5
OCSD
CPOD
ISARA (Integrated
Solar Array &
Reflectarray
Antenna)
Demonstrating
increased bandwidth
for Ka-band radio
communications by
using the back of a
deployed solar array
as a radio antenna
reflector
OCSD (Optical
Communication
& Sensor
Demonstration)
Demonstrating
space-to-ground
laser comm., lowcost navigation
sensors, and
proximity
operations with
two 1.5U cubesats
CPOD (Cubesat
Proximity
Operations
Demonstration)
Proximity
operations and
docking
demonstration
with two 3U
cubesats
Led by JPL with
Pumpkin, Inc.
Led by Aerospace
Corp.
Lifecycle Cost:
$13.5M
Lifecycle Cost: $5.5M
Lifecycle Cost:
$3.6M
Launch: 2015
Launch: 2014
Launch: 2014
Led by Tyvak, LLC
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POSSIBLE FUTURE CUBESAT MISSIONS
AND MANY MORE …
Space Technology Testbed
•
•
•
Autonomy
Advanced Integrated Vehicle Health
Management (IVHM)
Spacecraft component testing
Science
•
•
•
Bioscience experiments
Constellation observatory, e.g., “planet
finder” interferometer tech demo
Sample return, e.g., experiment, asteroid
Communication
•
•
•
Communication relays/routers
Space internet
Laser communication
Operations
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Deep space probe hitchhiker
Onorbit inspector
Astronaut assistant
Spacetug
Orbiting debris removal
Artificial gravity via tethered spacecraft
Precision landing
Power Generation and Transfer
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•
Advanced solar power
Tether power generation
Close proximity (wireless) power transfer
Satellite recharge depot
Power relay, e.g., mirror targeting
Propulsion
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•
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Propellant refueling
Tether orbit transfer
Ion/Plasma/Water/… propulsion
Electromagnetic propulsion
Solar sail
Laser ablation
Mining, Manufacturing,
Assembly, and Maintenance
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Space assembly/laser cutting/welding
Automated repair & maintenance
Self-assembling “transformer” testbed
Mini-spacestation assembly
Onorbit manufacturing
Solar power concentrator demo
Solar furnace/forge/caster
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SEE MORE ONLINE AT:
WWW.NASA.GOV/SMALLSATS
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