Members of the media are invited to learn about NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology Program, which includes five current flight projects including the Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) mission. EDSN is the first constellation of eight networked small spacecraft. There will be a media briefing and test facilities tour on Monday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. PDT at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.
NASA leadership and team members involved in the technology program and individual projects will speak on the growing importance of small satellites in space exploration, share milestone accomplishments and discuss aspects of the missions, including EDSN, set to launch on Oct. 29, from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii.
Panelists will be:
- Andrew Petro, Small Spacecraft Technology Program executive at NASA Headquarters, Washington
- Roger Hunter, Small Spacecraft Technology Program manager at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
- Dave Klumpar, director of Space Science and Engineering Laboratory, Montana State University, Bozeman
- Marco Villa, president and chief operations officer, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems Inc., Irvine, California
- Richard Hodges, principal investigator, Integrated Solar Array and Reflectarray Antenna (ISARA) Project Manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
- Richard Welle, director, Microsatellite Systems Department, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, California
- Chris Kitts, director of Robotics Systems Laboratory, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California
A tour of the Multi-Mission Operations Center as well as the laboratories and facilities used during the development, assembly, and testing of the EDSN small spacecraft will follow the panel discussion.
EDSN consists of a group of eight satellites in a loose cluster arrangement that will be deployed approximately 280 miles (450 kilometers) above Earth. Each satellite is a 1.5-unit (1.5U) CubeSat measuring about 4 inches by 4 inches by 6.5 inches and weighing approximately 4.5 pounds (2 kilograms). The group of satellites will be deployed using the Nanosatellite Launch Adapter System (NLAS) developed by the Engineering Directorate at NASA Ames. EDSN satellites will leverage recent advancements in small spacecraft and commercial off-the-shelf hardware and software, reduce cost and development time, and increase access to space.
Other projects to be discussed include the Integrated Solar Array and Reflectarray Antenna (ISARA), the Optical Communications and Sensor Demonstration, and the Cubesat Proximity Operations Demonstration along with several NASA-university collaboration projects and other small spacecraft technology activities.
Interested members of the news media should contact Kimberly Williams at: kimberly.k.williams@nasa.gov before 5 p.m. on Oct. 23 for credentials.
The Small Satellite Technology Program is funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Small satellites are playing an increasingly larger role in exploration, technology demonstration, scientific research and educational investigations at NASA. These miniature satellites provide a low-cost platform for NASA missions, including planetary space exploration; Earth observations; fundamental Earth and space science; and developing precursor science instruments like cutting-edge laser communications, satellite-to-satellite communications and autonomous movement capabilities. They also allow educators an inexpensive means to engage students in all phases of satellite development, operation and exploitation through real-world, hands-on research and development experience on NASA-funded rideshare launch opportunities.
For more information about the NASA Small Spacecraft Technology Program, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/smallsats
For more information about NASA’s Ames Research Center, visit:
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Kimberly Williams
650-604-4789
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
kimberly.k.williams@nasa.gov