Small%20Satellite%20Opportunities%20at%20Wallops%20Flight%20Facility

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Small Satellite Opportunities atWallops Flight
Facility

• Dr. John Campbell
• Director, Wallops Flight Facility

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The Small Satellite Paradox

• Small satellites are not funded (nor built)
  because of a lack of affordable launch
  opportunities
• and
• Affordable small satellite launch capabilities
  have been slow to emerge due to a limited market

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Small Satellite Launch Enablers

1. Low-cost small launch vehicles
2. Inexpensive responsive launch ranges
3. Ride sharing

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Low-Cost Launch Vehicles

• Get-Away Special Hitchhiker once served as the
  premier means for orbiting small satellites
• New small ELVs are moving to fill the void
• Minotaur I, IV, V
• SpaceX Falcon 1
• Etc.
• Essential characteristics of new vehicles
• Simple pad infrastructure
• Short time from arrival at range to launch
• Much lower cost per pound than current vehicles
• Streamlined range support requirements (e.g.,
  data services, personnel accommodations)

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Small Launch Vehicle OptionsConducted from
Wallops
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Small Satellites to the Moon

• Small ELVs (e.g., Minotaur V) launched from
  Wallops can transport 350-500 kg (payload is
  50) to the Moon
• Can provide low-cost options for Science and
  Exploration needs
• Remote sensing orbiters
• Impacters
• Small landers
• Communication navigation orbiters

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Small Satellite Launch Enablers

1. Low-cost small launch vehicles
2. Inexpensive responsive launch ranges
3. Ride sharing

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Launch Site on Wallops Island
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Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS)

• MARS owns 2 launch complexes at Wallops
• Used for Wallops small-to-medium class ELV
  missions
• MARS is a VA MD sponsored partnership with NASA
  chartered to pursue commercial aerospace
  opportunities at Wallops
• Current agreements enable efficient work with
  Wallops, using multiple business models
• NASA support of MARS commercial launches
• MARS support of NASAs government launches

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Wallops Operating Areas

• Wallops operational areas offer nearly unlimited
  mission capabilities
• Restricted NASA-controlled airspace encompasses
  Launch Range Research Airport
• NASA airspace provides direct access to Atlantic
  Ocean for hazardous mission operations
• Wallops location geography provides the most
  efficient access to desirable mid-inclination
  orbits of 38-60 degrees

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Low-Cost Responsive Range Operations

• Wallops Launch Range is right-sized for small
  spacecraft missions
• Small spacecraft missions not competing against
  large ELVs or Shuttle
• Staff facilities sized for small orbital
  missions
• Wallops has a history reputation for supporting
  emerging, low-cost launch vehicles
• Schedule flexibility allows for development
  mission complications
• Safety project support culture of assisting
  projects during development

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Launch Site Integration Flow
Spacecraft Plus Upper Stage Arrival L-30 days
Pad L-14 days
Launch!
Range Control Center
Lower Stages Arrival L-30 days
Blockhouse 3
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Minotaur I Launch _at_ Wallops
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Small Satellite Launch Enablers

1. Low-cost small launch vehicles
2. Inexpensive responsive launch ranges
3. Ride sharing

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Ridesharing

• Small ELVs are still larger than necessary for
  many small satellites
• Multi-manifesting of small ELVs is critical to
  ensuring that Micro-Explorer spacecraft (50-200
  lbs.) mature as a viable class of spacecraft
• Wallops has developed the Multi-Payload Ejector
  as a key enabler to exploit small ELVs for
  spacecraft smaller than 1000 lbs.

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Multi-Payload Ejector

• MPE able to carry gt800 lbs. of individual
  spacecraft
• 1 primary (up to 200 lbs.)
• 6 secondaries (up to 100 lbs. each)
• 12 CubeSat tertiaries (up to 3 lbs. each)
• Flexible
• Configurable for any launch vehicle, as primary
  for smaller ELV secondary for larger ELVs
• Can be flown as 1, 2, or 3 segments allowing
  trade-offs on individual spacecraft masses/volume
  orbital altitude
• Low-cost simple
• Completes payload deployments within ½ orbit
• Motorized spring deployments (no pyrotechnics)
• Sounding rocket qualified timers
• Single input from launch vehicle initiates all
  MPE events
• Launch vehicle provides only necessary
  guidance/control
• Rapid Integration

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MPE Integration Flow
Spacecraft IT
MPE Integration
Vehicle Integration Test
. . .
Spacecraft (S/C) Development Test
S/C Arrival _at_ Wallops
MPE Integration with ELV
S/C Receiving Inspection
S/C Integration with MPE
T-4 weeks
T-3 weeks
T-2 weeks
T-1 week
Launch Day
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MPE Simulation
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Small Satellite Launch Costs by the PoundNot by
the vehicle

• Component Costs, w/o Spacecraft (Wallops Launch)
• MPE (NASA) 1.5M
• IT (NASA) 300K
• Range Services (NASA) 1.5M
• Launch Vehicle 16M (assumes Minotaur I)
• TOTAL 19.3M
• Payload Capacity (MPE 3-stack configuration)
• MPE Structure 300 lbs.
• 1 primary spacecraft 200 lbs.
• 6 secondary spacecraft (100 lbs. each) 600 lbs.
• 12 Cubesats (3 lbs. each) 36 lbs.
• Total Spacecraft mass for 19 spacecraft 836 lbs
• Cost per payload mass
• Minotaur I 23K/payload lb.
• Falcon I 13.5K/payload lb.

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Small Satellite Launch Enablers

1. Low-cost small launch vehicles
2. Inexpensive responsive launch ranges
3. Ride sharing