For SOA related inquiries, please email: arc-sst-soa@mail.nasa.gov.

Change Summary

Published Date	Edition	Chapter	Description of Changes
February 2025	2024	Complete Spacecraft Platforms	Updates to Hosted Payloads and Spacecraft Bus sections, and all technology tables.
		Power	All technology tables updated.
		In-space Propulsion	Edits pending next edition.
		Guidance, Navigation, and Control	Chapter updates; Formation Flying and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations section included.
		Structures, Materials, and Mechanisms	The Additive Manufacturing section updated.
		Thermal Control	Edits pending next edition.
		SmallSat Avionics	On-board Computing Systems table updated.
		Communications	Free Space Optical Communications section updated.
		Launch, Integration, Deployment, and Orbital Transport	Minor edits throughout the chapter; Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle section updated.
		Ground Data Systems and Mission Operations	Updated content in Ground Segment Services, Ground Station Components, Ground Data and Supporting Systems sections.
		ID and Tracking	Minor edits throughout chapter.
		Deorbit Systems	Passive and Active Systems sections updated.

Preface

NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology State-of-the-art report is updated annually to capture new information on publicly available small spacecraft systems from NASA and other sources. Each chapter captures the development status of current state-of-the-art SmallSat technologies, along with design considerations for the reader to consider when identifying components for their mission. The organizational approach for each chapter includes an introduction of the technology, current development status of the technology’s procurable systems, and summary tables of the technologies surveyed. In this way, each chapter presents a stand-alone report on the subject spacecraft subsystem, with updated information on new and maturating technologies and reference missions as applicable.

When the first edition of this report was published in 2013, 247 CubeSats and 105 other non-CubeSat small spacecraft under 50 kilograms (kg) had been launched worldwide that represented less than 2% of launched mass into orbit over multiple years. Small satellite flight heritage has greatly increased since then as they have become the primary way for commercial, government, private, and academic institutions to access space. Since 2023 there has been an influx of constellations of mini-class small spacecraft with a mass of 201 – 600 kg, as well as a new generation of larger small spacecraft constellations weighing 600 – 1,200 kg (1). While updates in all chapters reflect this growth in the small spacecraft market, a focused effort was made to update areas with recent technology developments that may ultimately bridge existing technology gaps.

The current edition of the report features updates for hosted payload services (see Platforms chapter); Orbital Maneuvering/Transport Vehicle (OMV/OTV) services (see Integration, Launch, Deployment, and Orbital Transport chapter); Formation Flying and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (see Guidance, Navigation, and Control chapter); and passive and active deorbit systems (see Deorbit Systems chapter) as these are rapidly growing fields which are now extensively represented at small spacecraft conferences. Although still in their infancy, commercial launch service providers are beginning to expand their offerings to also include In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM), as well as mission modeling and simulation services. As these services evolve and reliable conventions and standards emerge, they will likely be integrated with additional details in future editions of this report.  

This report should not be considered as a comprehensive overview of all the technologies but a rather general overview for the current state-of-the-art SmallSat technologies and their development status. It should be noted that technology maturity designations may vary with changes to payload, mission requirements, reliability considerations, and/or the environment in which performance was demonstrated. Readers are highly encouraged to contact companies for further information regarding the performance and maturity of the described technology. Any companies mentioned in this report are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement by NASA.

References

1. Bryce and Space Technology. “SmallSat by the Numbers, 2024.” [Online] Accessed: September 28, 2024. https://brycetech.com/reports/report-documents/Bryce_Smallsats_2024.pdf

Previous editions of this report can be found at the S3VI Small Spacecraft Body of Knowledge webpage: https://www.nasa.gov/smallsat-institute/small-spacecraft-body-of-knowledge