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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute and Small Spacecraft Enterprise

In January of 2017, NASA's Space Technology and Science Mission Directorates established the Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI). The mission of the agency-wide institute is to advance the field of small spacecraft systems and allied sciences by promoting innovation, exploring new concepts, identifying emerging technology opportunities, and establishing effective conduits for the collaboration and the dissemination of research results relevant to small spacecraft systems and subsystems. To achieve this, the S3VI serves as the common portal for NASA-related small spacecraft activities, hosts the Small Spacecraft Body of Knowledge as an online resource for the annual Small Spacecraft Technology State of the Art report, including a components and subsystems database, and also collects and organizes related knowledge such as small spacecraft reliability processes and best practices. The S3VI also serves as the front door for other governmental, non-governmental, and external agencies that wish to collaborate or interact with NASA small spacecraft organizations. NASA also presently has a growing number of small spacecraft related programs, projects, and efforts collectively termed the NASA Small Spacecraft Enterprise underway to advance the utility of small spacecraft instruments, technologies, and missions in order for NASA to achieve its exploration and science goals. These various activities will be outlined and described with a refocused emphasis on cis-lunar and deep space applications and supporting technologies.

Small spacecraft↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute and Small Spacecraft Enterprise

In January of 2017, NASA's Space Technology and Science Mission Directorates established the Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI). The mission of the agency-wide institute is to advance the field of small spacecraft systems to expand the capabilities and utility of small spacecraft to perform high-value science by promoting innovation, exploring new concepts, identifying emerging technology opportunities, and establishing effective conduits for the collaboration and the dissemination of research results relevant to small spacecraft systems and subsystems. To achieve this, the S3VI serves as the common portal for NASA-related small spacecraft activities, hosts the Small Spacecraft Body of Knowledge as an online resource for the annual Small Spacecraft Technology State of the Art report, including a components and subsystems database, and also collects and organizes related knowledge such as small spacecraft reliability processes and best practices. The S3VI also serves as the front door for other governmental, non-governmental, and external agencies that wish to collaborate or interact with NASA small spacecraft organizations. NASA also presently has a growing number of small spacecraft related programs, projects, and efforts underway to advance the utility of small spacecraft instruments, technologies, and missions to support NASA to achieve its exploration and science goals. These various activities will be outlined and described to include small spacecraft applications and supporting technologies for cis-lunar and deep space missions.

Small spacecraft↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems Program - Recent and Upcoming Technology Demonstrations and Development Efforts

NASA’s Small Spacecraft & Distributed Systems (SSDS) program strengthens U.S. ability to conduct unique missions by rapidly developing and demonstrating capabilities for SmallSat exploration, science, and commercial space. In collaboration with NASA Centers, other government agencies, commercial industry, and academia, SSDS advances next generation SmallSat technologies like power, processing, propulsion, communications, autonomous navigation, architectures (swarms), and applications (AI/ML/Edge Computing)—to extend missions beyond LEO into cislunar and planetary space. Various investment mechanisms exist for SSDS to select and fund projects that will ultimately advance NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture. Presented here are the latest achievements and findings from recently completed SSDS projects, along with updates from ongoing efforts and planned future work. Successful missions like Starling and CAPSTONE continue to demonstrate their capability after several years on-orbit. Advancements in next generation swarm configurations are being implemented by Starling for space traffic monitoring and management applications. Findings from recent SSDS flight projects are discussed: DiskSat, a unique SmallSat platform alternative to canisterized nanosatellites, launched December 2025 and is gathering data; the PTD series of missions concluded in December 2025. Current SSDS efforts are focused on addressing NASA Shortfalls relating to rendezvous and proximity operations, neuromorphic computing, and space situational awareness.

Roger C Hunter↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute - Presentation to the Committee of the Review of Progress Toward Implementing the Decadal Survey Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science

The Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI) was established in 2017 to leverage the growing small spacecraft community, promote innovation, identify emerging technology opportunities, and provide an efficient channel for communication about small spacecraft systems with industry, academia, and other government agencies. This presentation offers an overview of the S3VI’s strategy to provide the first one-stop shop for technical knowledge in the rapidly burgeoning small spacecraft technology fields and outlines how the institute can support the planetary science decadal survey efforts.

Small spacecraft↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

AERACEPT (Aerosol Rapid Analysis Combined Entry Probe/sonde Technology: Enabling In Situ Aerosol Science for Small Spacecraft Missions

AERACEPT is an early-stage technology combining an entry vehicle and descent probe in a single aeroshell instrumented for aerosol particle sampling.This approach combines previous technology demonstrations of sampling through an aeroshell body and well-established particle sampling techniques from airborne science with modern advances in thermal protection materials such as 3D woven carbon-carbon and HEEET. It is designed to be compatible with robust, fast cadence, low power, small footprint analysis instruments such as LIBS, SERS, and UV fluorescence. It is particularly well suited to a Venus mission, as the particles of interest will be in the subsonic regime of a passive descent, and is included as part of the Nephele Venus small spacecraft mission concept.

aerosol↗
NASA NTRS2004

Space-Based Sensor Web for Earth Science Applications: An Integrated Architecture for Providing Societal Benefits

There is a significant interest in the Earth Science research and user remote sensing community to substantially increase the number of useful observations relative to the current frequency of collection. The obvious reason for such a push is to improve the temporal, spectral, and spatial coverage of the area(s) under investigation. However, there is little analysis available in terms of the benefits, costs and the optimal set of sensors needed to make the necessary observations. Classic observing system solutions may no longer be applicable because of their point design philosophy. Instead, a new intelligent data collection system paradigm employing both reactive and proactive measurement strategies with adaptability to the dynamics of the phenomena should be developed. This is a complex problem that should be carefully studied and balanced across various boundaries including: science, modeling, applications, and technology. Modeling plays a crucial role in making useful predictions about naturally occurring or human-induced phenomena In particular, modeling can serve to mitigate the potentially deleterious impacts a phenomenon may have on human life, property, and the economy. This is especially significant when one is interested in learning about the dynamics of, for example, the spread of forest fires, regional to large-scale air quality issues, the spread of the harmful invasive species, or the atmospheric transport of volcanic plumes and ash. This paper identifies and examines these challenging issues and presents architectural alternatives for an integrated sensor web to provide observing scenarios driving the requisite dynamic spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristics to address these key application areas. A special emphasis is placed on the observing systems and its operational aspects in serving the multiple users and stakeholders in providing societal benefits. We also address how such systems will take advantage of technological advancement in small spacecraft and emerging information technologies, and how sensor web options may be realized and made affordable. Specialized detector subsystems and precision flying techniques may still require substantial innovation, development time and cost: we have presented the considerations for these issues. Finally, data and information gathering and compression techniques are also briefly described.

Habib, Shahid↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI)

This presentation provides and overview of the products, technology demonstration missions, and efforts of NASA's Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute and Small Spacecraft Technology Program.

Bruce D Yost↗
NASA NTRS2019

Advanced Composite Solar Sail System: Demonstrating Deployable Composite Solar Sails for Future Deep Space Small Spacecraft

NASA is developing new deployable structures and materials technologies for solar sail propulsion systems destined for future low-cost deep space missions. Solar sails eliminate the need for conventional rocket propellants, relying instead upon the pressure of sunlight to generate continuous thrust. They can operate indefinitely, limited only by the space environment durability of the solar sail materials and spacecraft electronic systems.At NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, researchers and engineers are planning a mission to demonstrate the next generation of solar sail technology for small interplanetary spacecraft. As part of this development effort, the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) will demonstrate deployment of an approximately 800 square foot (74 square meter) composite boom (mast) solar sail system in low-Earth orbit. This will be the first use of composite booms as well as sail packing and deployment systems for a solar sail in orbit.

composite materials↗
NASA NTRS2018

The Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI) and NASA's Small Spacecraft Enterprise

The mission of the Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI) is to advance the field of small spacecraft systems and allied sciences by promoting innovation, exploring new concepts, identifying emerging technology opportunities, and establishing effective conduits for the collaboration and the dissemination of research results relevant to small spacecraft systems. The S3VI is the common portal for NASA related small spacecraft activities. The portal hosts the Small Spacecraft Body of Knowledge as an online resource for the Small Spacecraft Technology State of the Art report, and reliability processes and practices, among other small spacecraft-focused content. The S3VI's first year activities focused on development of the web portal and investment in collaborative tools to host and support working groups formed to concentrate on a variety of small spacecraft topics such as reliability and access to space. The S3VI serves as the front door for other governmental and non-governmental organizations that wish to collaborate or interact with NASA small spacecraft organizations. NASA presently has a growing number of small spacecraft related programs, projects, and efforts underway to advance the state of the art of small spacecraft instruments, technologies, and missions in order for NASA to achieve its science and exploration goals.

Small spacecraft↗
NASA NTRS1995

Structures and materials technology needs for communications and remote sensing spacecraft

This report documents trade studies conducted from the perspective of a small spacecraft developer to determine and quantify the structures and structural materials technology development needs for future commercial and NASA small spacecraft to be launched in the period 1999 to 2005. Emphasis is placed on small satellites weighing less than 1800 pounds for two focus low-Earth orbit missions: commercial communications and remote sensing. The focus missions are characterized in terms of orbit, spacecraft size, performance, and design drivers. Small spacecraft program personnel were interviewed to determine their technology needs, and the results are summarized. A systems-analysis approach for quantifying the benefits of inserting advanced state-of-the-art technologies into a current reference, state-of-the-practice small spacecraft design is developed and presented. This approach is employed in a set of abbreviated trade studies to quantify the payoffs of using a subset of 11 advanced technologies selected from the interview results The 11 technology development opportunities are then ranked based on their relative payoff. Based on the strong potential for significant benefits, recommendations are made to pursue development of 8 and the 11 technologies. Other important technology development areas identified are recommended for further study.

Gronet, M. J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

PTD: Enabling New Space Technologies

Significant advances in the capabilities of small spacecraft over the past 20 years, coupled with improved access to space from a variety of launch platforms have created new opportunities for scientific exploration and commercial application using these high-value (and yet low cost) platforms. Continued development and demonstration of key technologies are improving the performance of the 3U and 6U class CubeSats while expanding the small spacecraft reach into larger platforms, such as 12U and ESPA class missions. The availability and relatively low cost of CubeSat spacecraft allows key technologies to be flight qualified, bridging the TRL 6/7 gap and making truly novel and enabling technologies available to much larger missions in the planning stages at NASA. The key is connecting the technologists with the flight opportunity in a time and cost efficient manner. NASA’s Small Satellite Technology (SST) program is using existing commercial spacecraft to provide a common bus for technology demonstration, taking advantage of their proven platforms and system with proven flight heritage and extensive infrastructure. In this paper we discuss the Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (PTD) series of four spacecraft and the CubeSat Laser Infrared CrosslinK (CLICK) series of three spacecraft, the approach SST took in facilitating the missions, the successes of those missions as well as lessons learned in the process. NASA’s PTD spacecraft series is demonstrating a variety of new technologies on-orbit, providing proof of the maturity of these significant new technologies, and enhancing the performance of future CubeSats. Each of the four PTD mission consists of one 6-unit (6U) CubeSat weighing approximately 12 kilograms and measuring approximately 30 centimeters x 25 centimeters x 10 centimeters, characterizing its payload within 90 days of orbit insertion. The spacecraft bus, integration and test, and mission operations services are being provided by Terran Orbital. The PTD missions have demonstrated a novel nano-spacecraft compatible propulsion systems (enabling deep space and maneuverable Cubeat missions) and an optical communications system (enabling high data rate collection and communications) already. The CLICK missions are demonstrating compact space-to-space optical communications first with the CLICK A technology demonstrator (already flown) and finally with the CLICK BC dual spacecraft mission. Both projects are part of the SST program within the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate. SST is chartered to develop and demonstrate technologies to enhance and expand the capabilities of small spacecraft with a particular focus on enabling new mission architectures through the use of small spacecraft, expanding the reach of small spacecraft to new destinations, and augmenting future missions with supporting small spacecraft.

J. Hanson↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Sub-kW Class Hall-Effect Thruster Power Processing Unit for Wide Output Range Applications

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Small Spacecraft Electric Propulsion (SSEP) project is maturing high-propellant throughput sub-kilowatt Hall-effect thruster technologies to enable small spacecraft deep space science and exploration missions with high delta-v requirements. In support of this effort, development of a power processing unit (PPU) capable of providing discharge power of up to 1 kW continues to be pursued at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). Previous reported work included a successful integrated test of a scalable, modular breadboard discharge power supply with the NASA-H64M laboratory model Hall-effect thruster and presentation of notional designs for the various auxiliary power supplies needed for thruster operation. Since that time, auxiliary power supply designs have been completed and fabricated, with the cathode heater and keeper power supplies being successfully tested with a hollow cathode assembly (HCA) in the NASA GRC Vacuum Facility 56 (VF-56). The desire for a lower mass, higher efficiency, and more versatile PPU to maximize performance of power and mass-limited small spacecraft has led to the exploration of a discharge power supply based on a series-parallel (LCC) resonant topology. This topology has enabled the discharge power supply to operate over a wider output range at switching frequencies 4-5 times higher than previous design iterations. Simulation models of the topology have been developed and a breadboard of the topology has been fabricated and evaluated on both resistive loads and an integrated Hall thruster test. This paper will present collected performance and integrated test data from both the fabricated auxiliary and resonant discharge power supplies. Advantages of the resonant converter architecture over more traditional pulse-width modulated (PWM) techniques in Hall-effect thruster discharge power supply applications will also be described.

electric propulsion↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Sub-kW Class Hall-Effect Thruster Power Processing Unit for Wide Output Range Applications

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Small Spacecraft Electric Propulsion (SSEP) project is maturing high-propellant throughput sub-kilowatt Hall-effect thruster technologies to enable small spacecraft deep space science and exploration missions with high delta-v requirements. In support of this effort, development of a power processing unit (PPU) capable of providing discharge power of up to 1 kW continues to be pursued at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). Previous reported work included a successful integrated test of a scalable, modular breadboard discharge power supply with the NASA-H64M laboratory model Hall-effect thruster and presentation of notional designs for the various auxiliary power supplies needed for thruster operation. Since that time, auxiliary power supply designs have been completed and fabricated, with the cathode heater and keeper power supplies being successfully tested with a hollow cathode assembly (HCA) in the NASA GRC Vacuum Facility 56 (VF-56). The desire for a lower mass, higher efficiency, and more versatile PPU to maximize performance of power and mass-limited small spacecraft has led to the exploration of a discharge power supply based on a series-parallel (LCC) resonant topology. This topology has enabled the discharge power supply to operate over a wider output range at switching frequencies 4-5 times higher than previous design iterations. Simulation models of the topology have been developed and a breadboard of the topology has been fabricated and evaluated on both resistive loads and an integrated Hall thruster test. This paper will present collected performance and integrated test data from both the fabricated auxiliary and resonant discharge power supplies. Advantages of the resonant converter architecture over more traditional pulse-width modulated (PWM) techniques in Hall-effect thruster discharge power supply applications will also be described.

electric propulsion↗
NASA NTRS2003

Design and Test of a Tethered Pair of Satellites: Equipment Requirements

A recent development in spacecraft mission design involves the increasing use of Distributed Spacecraft Systems (DSS). Several key technologies must mature sufficiently to facilitate these missions, including the use of spacecraft flying in tightly controlled formations. Such formations may be controlled using "free flying" navigation schemes, or alternatively may use tethers to constrain the formation geometry. An investigation has been initiated here to further develop this technology using two small spacecraft connected by a short tether. After insertion into orbit, the tether will be extended and various data collected on the performance of the dual-spacecraft "formation." At some later time, the tether will be cut, and the spacecraft pair will be navigated in a manner to maintain a geometry as closely as possible to that of the tethered configuration. Comparisons and evaluations of the two modes of operation can then be made so that the merits of both approaches are available to mission designers.

Pernicka, Henry J.↗