Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator: Demonstrating Novel CubeSat Technologies in Low Earth Orbit

NASA\u27s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (PTD) project will test the operation of a variety of novel CubeSat technologies in low-Earth orbit, providing significant enhancements to the performance of these small and effective spacecraft. Each Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator mission will consist of a 6-unit (6U) CubeSat weighing approximately 12 kilograms and measuring 30 centimeters x 25 centimeters x 10 centimeters. The PTD project led by NASA\u27s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California, in collaboration with NASA\u27s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio and a commercial partner will benefit future missions by demonstrating the operation of new subsystem technologies on orbit. These technologies include propulsion systems that provide the capability to maneuver small science platforms and send small spacecraft to deep space; novel technologies to stabilize spacecraft, and laser communications systems that will greatly increase the amount of data that can be transmitted from the spacecraft to the ground. As small spacecraft increase mobility and capability, NASA benefits by flight-qualifying these subsystems, providing access to low cost, highly capable, science and technology platforms that can operate from the near-Earth to the deep space environment. The PTD mission is funded through NASA\u27s Small Spacecraft Technology Program (SSTP), which is chartered to develop and mature technologies to enhance and expand the capabilities of small spacecraft with a particular focus on communications, propulsion, pointing, power, and autonomous operations. The SSTP is one of nine programs within NASA\u27s Space Technology Mission Directorate. This paper will include an overview of the PTD project, the PTD spacecraft bus interfaces and capabilities as an adaptable, commercially developed small satellite bus for LEO technology demonstration, potential types of payloads, expected timeframe and flights, and how the PTD project will be a pathfinder for novel small spacecraft technologies to be flight demonstrated for science, commercial, and governmental use

Flight Operations for the LCROSS Lunar Impactor Mission

The LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite) mission was conceived as a low-cost means of determining the nature of hydrogen concentrated at the polar regions of the moon. Co-manifested for launch with LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), LCROSS guided its spent Centaur upper stage into the Cabeus crater as a kinetic impactor, and observed the impact flash and resulting debris plume for signs of water and other compounds from a Shepherding Spacecraft. Led by NASA Ames Research Center, LCROSS flight operations spanned 112 days, from June 18 through October 9, 2009. This paper summarizes the experiences from the LCROSS flight, highlights the challenges faced during the mission, and examines the reasons for its ultimate success

NASA\u27s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator

NASA\u27s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (PTD) is a technology development project that will test the operation of a variety of novel CubeSat subsystems in low-Earth orbit, providing significant enhancements to the performance of these small and effective spacecraft. Each Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator mission will consist of one 6-unit (6U) CubeSat weighing approximately 12 kilograms and measuring approximately 30 centimeters x 25 centimeters x 10 centimeters. Each mission will be able to fulfill its objective of demonstrating the functionality of its payload and characterize the technology within 90 days of release from the deployment system. A sequence of five PTD spacecraft are expected to be deployed at near 6 month intervals, each demonstrating a novel, key small satellite technology. The first PTD spacecraft is expected to be ready for flight by August of 2018. The PTD project, led by NASA\u27s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California, in collaboration with NASA\u27s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc. in Irvine, California as the spacecraft vendor, will benefit future missions by demonstrating the operation of new subsystem technologies on orbit. These technologies are expected to include propulsion systems that provide the capability to maneuver small science platforms and send small spacecraft to deep space; novel technologies to stabilize spacecraft, and laser communications systems that will greatly increase the amount of data that can be transmitted from the spacecraft to the ground. As small spacecraft increase in mobility and capability, NASA benefits by flight-qualifying these commercial subsystems, providing access to low cost, highly capable, science and technology platforms that can operate from the near-Earth to the deep space environment. NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California leads the Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator project in collaboration with NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The project is part of the Small Spacecraft Technology program within the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate. SST is chartered to develop and demonstrate technologies to enhance and expand the capabilities of small spacecraft with a particular focus on enabling new mission architectures through the use of small spacecraft, expanding the reach of small spacecraft to new destinations, and augmenting future missions with supporting small spacecraft. A PTD overview incorporating the Tyvak spacecraft bus concept and status will be presented

Rideshare and the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle: the Key to Low-cost Lagrange-point Missions

Rideshare is a well proven approach, in both LEO and GEO, enabling low-cost space access through splitting of launch charges between multiple passengers. Demand exists from users to operate payloads at Lagrange points, but a lack of regular rides results in a deficiency in rideshare opportunities. As a result, such mission architectures currently rely on a costly dedicated launch. NASA and Moog have jointly studied the technical feasibility, risk and cost of using an Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) to offer Lagrange point rideshare opportunities. This OMV would be launched as a secondary passenger on a commercial rocket into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) and utilize the Moog ESPA secondary launch adapter. The OMV is effectively a free flying spacecraft comprising a full suite of avionics and a propulsion system capable of performing GTO to Lagrange point transfer via a weak stability boundary orbit. In addition to traditional OMV ’tug’ functionality, scenarios using the OMV to host payloads for operation at the Lagrange points have also been analyzed. This analysis has led to definition of a mission concept to allow space weather monitoring at the Earth-Sun L1 point as well as perform the technology demonstration of an advanced solar sail payload