To The Stars: NASA Selects Small Spacecraft Technology Demonstration Missions

Aug. 09, 2012

David E. Steitz
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1730
david.steitz@nasa.gov

Rachel Hoover
Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.
650-604-4789
rachel.hoover@nasa.gov



RELEASE: 12-274

TO THE STARS: NASA SELECTS SMALL SPACECRAFT TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION MISSIONS

WASHINGTON -- NASA has chosen three teams to advance the state of the
art for small spacecraft in the areas of communications, formation
flying and docking systems. The cutting-edge space technology flights
are expected to take place in 2014 and 2015.

All selected missions will employ nanosatellites conforming to the
CubeSat standard. CubeSats are composed of four-inch, cube-shaped
units with each having a volume of about one quart and a weight of
approximately three pounds. CubeSats can be joined to create
multiple-unit spacecraft. They readily can be accommodated as
secondary payloads or rideshares on a number of space launch
vehicles.

"NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Program is structured to advance
the capabilities and technologies associated with small, low cost
space missions to enhance NASA's ability to conduct more with less,"
said Michael Gazarik, director of NASA's Space Technology Program at
Headquarters in Washington. "These flights validate new space
technologies and capabilities prior to infusion into NASA science and
exploration applications and missions."

The three missions selected for flight demonstration are:

-- "Integrated Solar Array and Reflectarray Antenna (ISARA) for High
Bandwidth CubeSat," Richard Hodges, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, Calif., partnering with Pumpkin Inc. of San Francisco.
ISARA will demonstrate a radio communication system that dramatically
boosts the amount of data that the small satellite can transmit by
using the back of its solar array as a reflector for the antenna.
This three-unit CubeSat will be funded at approximately $5.5 million
with launch expected in two years.

-- "Integrated Optical Communications and Proximity Sensors for
Cubesats," Siegfried Janson, Aerospace Corporation of El Segundo,
Calif. This pair of 1.5-unit CubeSats will demonstrate a laser
communication system for sending large amounts of information from a
satellite to Earth and also demonstrate low-cost radar and optical
sensors for helping small spacecraft maneuver near each other. The
mission is expected to take two years and $3.6 million to develop and
operate.

-- "Proximity Operations Nano-Satellite Flight Demonstration," Charles
MacGillivray, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems LLC of Orange, Calif. Two
three-unit CubeSats will demonstrate rendezvous and mechanical
docking of small spacecraft in orbit. This project is expected to
take three years and approximately $13.5 million in funding to
develop, launch and operate. Partners on the project include Applied
Defense Solutions Inc. of Columbia, Md., 406 Aerospace LLC of
Bozeman, Mont., and California Polytechnic State University of San
Luis Obispo.

NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Program is designed to identify and
support the development of new subsystem technologies to enhance or
expand the capabilities of small spacecraft. The program also
supports flight demonstrations of new small spacecraft technologies,
capabilities and applications. In addition, it supports use of small
spacecraft as platforms to test and demonstrate technologies and
capabilities that might have applications in spacecraft and systems
of any size.

NASA's Space Technology Program directs the Small Spacecraft
Technology Program, which is managed by NASA's Ames Research Center
in Mountain View, Calif. NASA's Space Technology Program is
innovating, developing, testing and flying hardware for use in NASA's
future science and exploration missions. NASA's technology
investments provide cutting-edge solutions for our nation's future.

For more information about NASA's Space Technology Program and Small
Spacecraft Technology Program, visit:


http://www.nasa.gov/oct


-end-



To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
hqnews-subscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov
To remove your address from the list, send a message to:
hqnews-unsubscribe@mediaservices.nasa.gov