A miniature satellite is a low-cost platform to support a small space experiment. Space astrophysics has been hindered by decades-long delays in important experiments. With miniature satellites, one hopes to reduce both experiment cost and lead time to an affordable level. Miniature satellites are not a new idea. The first scientific satellites, including Explorer I, were small and developed on a timescale of months. Important science was done by these pioneer missions. Though the easy discoveries have been made, important missions in exploration and follow-up can still be carried out from small platforms. Successful small satellite programs continue to this day. These include the OSCAR amateur radio satellite program, in which 12 small satellites, built by amateurs, have been flown over 25 years with no satellite failures (Fleeter, 1988). Two small free-flyers, GLOMAR and NUSAT, were ejected from the Shuttle in 1985. GLOMAR, a radio-relay experiment, was built in less than a year for under $1 million, and operated over a year in orbit. Small satellite projects continue to this day. Approaching launch are the Air Force STACKSAT array of 3 small satellites (P87-2), a number of other small satellites under Department of Defense auspices. The Air Force Space Test Program is developing a standard small experiment platform called STEP (Space Test Experiment Platform). NASA has started a small explorer program, beginning with SAMPEX, a solar and magnetospheric particle explorer, FAST, a fast auroral snapshot experiment, and SWAS, a submillimeter astronomy experiment. 5 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.


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    Title :

    Low-cost small satellites for astrophysical missions


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1989


    Size :

    6 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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