We are on the threshold of a new era in robotic exploration of our solar system, one in which Cubesats and Smallsats will play an important role. As NASA’s lead center for robotic solar system exploration, JPL has a strategic interest in these new capabilities that enable scientists to expand our knowledge of how our solar system formed, how it works, and even how life originated. JPL’s two MarCO spacecraft are currently being prepared for launch along with the InSight Discovery mission in May of this year. This first pair of interplanetary Cubesats will make their way independently to Mars and provide a relay capability for the InSight lander back to Earth. Lunar Flashlight and Near Earth Asteroid Scout, two Cubesats that are currently under development, will form part of the ‘swarm’ of Cubesats escorted into lunar orbit by NASA’s EM-1 mission – the first launch of its new SLS rocket. This paper will provide an overview of these and other Cubesat and Smallsat mission developments at JPL.
Exploring Our Solar System with Cubesats and Smallsats: A NASA/JPL Perspective
2018-05-28
Preprint
No indication
English
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