AAWSAP DIRD, Laser Lightcraft Nanosatellites, November 2010

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Laser Lightcraft Nanosatellites
Summary
Miniaturized satellites are spacecraft of unusually low mass and small size, usually
under 500 kg in total mass. The term "minisatellite" refers to a spacecraft with a wet
mass (including onboard propellant) of 100 kg to 500 kg. Microsatellite or "microsat" is
a spacecraft with a wet mass of 10 kg to 100 kg. Nanosatellite or "nanosat" is a
spacecraft with a wet mass below 10 kg. Picosatellite or "picosat" is a spacecraft with a
wet mass of 0.1 kg to 1.0 kg. Picosats are also called sub-nanosats.
The primary reason for miniaturizing satellites is to reduce cost. Heavier satellites
require larger launch vehicles of greater cost while smaller, lighter satellites require
smaller and cheaper launch vehicles and can sometimes be launched in multiples or
"piggyback" using excess capacity on larger launch vehicles. Miniaturized satellites
allow for cheaper designs as well as ease of mass production. However, few satellites
of any size other than communications constellations, where dozens of satellites are
used to cover the globe, have been mass produced in practice.
Besides the cost issue, the main rationale for the use of miniaturized satellites is the
opportunity to enable missions that a larger satellite cannot accomplish, such as:
•
Constellations for low data rate communications.
•
Using formations to gather data from multiple points.
•
In-orbit inspection of larger satellites.
Many of these missions require numerous small spacecraft in a constellation or
"swarm." These include orbital communications networks and swarms of small
satellites to conduct remote sensing, and to provide unique perspectives on
astronomical bodies of interest. For instance, 100 or more nanosats could be deployed
from a mother ship to their final destination in space for deployment.
Provisions for orbital maneuvers as well as attitude control, multiple sensors, and
instruments, and full autonomy will yield a highly capable miniaturized satellite. All
onboard electronics will survive a total radiation dose rate of several hundred kilorads
over a several year mission lifetime (at least 100 kilorads over two years). Nanosats
developed for in-situ measurements will be spin-stabilized, and carry a complement of
particles and fields instruments. Nanosats developed for remote sensing measurements
(MASINT) or surveillance and eavesdropping (SIGINT) will be three-axis stabilized, and
carry a complement of imaging and radio wave instruments. Autonomy both onboard
the nanosats and at the ground stations will minimize the mission operational costs for
tracking and managing a constellation.
To reduce overall mission cost, advanced technology components and a novel laser
propulsion system will be used to make nanosats and their onboard instruments
compact, lightweight, low power, low cost, and able to survive their radiation
environment over a several year lifetime. Each nanosat will be manufactured and
tested for a recurring cost not to exceed $500k. By producing a large quantity of
nanosats for a given mission, the per-unit cost will be reduced to a small fraction of
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