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Small Satellite Missions

Viewing Posts from April 2023

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    Weather Unfavorable for Launch of NASA’s TROPICS Mission

    Launch of NASA’s TROPICS (Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats) mission is delayed due to a weather front headed toward Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex-1 in Mahia, New Zealand. Rocket Lab will assess the weather as it evolves over the weekend and confirm a new target date soon. This …

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    Rocket Lab Updates Launch Location for NASA’s TROPICS Mission

    NASA's TROPICs pathfinder satellite is shown in flight configuration. Rocket Lab is preparing to launch four TROPICS CubeSats from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand for the agency.

    A NASA constellation of four storm tracking CubeSats are getting a new launch location as they prepare to study tropical cyclones beginning in the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. NASA’s Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a Constellation of SmallSats (TROPICS) will observe the atmosphere to increase our understanding of hurricanes, typhoons, and …

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    NASA Selects University Nanosatellite Program Summer Series Winners

    A pair of students install a solar array panel during the flight assembly of LightCube.

    NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) has partnered with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force to select eight schools for the University Nanosatellite Program (UNP) Mission Concepts-1: 2023 Summer Series. Running from May through August, the program provides students with systems engineering training, preparing them to work in the space industry while simultaneously enhancing …

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    Small Satellites Playing Larger Role in Science Investigations

    The Low-Latitude Ionosphere/Thermosphere Enhancements in Density (LLITED) mission will measure and study two features of the upper atmosphere: the equatorial temperature and wind anomaly (ETWA) that occurs in the neutral atmosphere, and the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) that occurs in the region containing charged particles.

    Editor’s note: This article was updated on April 4 to provide the latest target launch date information. NASA is announcing two small CubeSats missions to launch on a commercial dedicated rideshare flight as part of the agency’s Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) initiative, which helps advance scientific and human exploration, as well as reduce the …

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