Session
Technical Session IX: Delivery Systems
Abstract
Worldwide secondary payload launch capabilities and future opportunities have been studied at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as a part of planning future microspacecraft missions. Launch vehicles which have been identified as having near-term secondary payload opportunities for launching microspacecraft include; Delta II, Ariane 5, Atlas II - Centaur, Space Shuttle, Pegasus, Taurus, HIIA, Molniya, Proton, and Cosmos. Interface requirements and contact information have been identified for these. The secondary payload launch capabilities are summarized and missions which have been proposed or are currently under study are described for some of these opportunities. Several types of microspacecraft missions can be accomplished with secondary payloads. We have studied several mission concepts at JPL including advanced technology demonstration platforms, a constellation of climate monitoring microspacecraft, low-cost university technology demonstration platforms, a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) technology validation platform, and the use of Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) for deep space trajectory missions.
Microspacecraft Secondary Payload Launch Capabilities & Mission Possibilities
Worldwide secondary payload launch capabilities and future opportunities have been studied at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as a part of planning future microspacecraft missions. Launch vehicles which have been identified as having near-term secondary payload opportunities for launching microspacecraft include; Delta II, Ariane 5, Atlas II - Centaur, Space Shuttle, Pegasus, Taurus, HIIA, Molniya, Proton, and Cosmos. Interface requirements and contact information have been identified for these. The secondary payload launch capabilities are summarized and missions which have been proposed or are currently under study are described for some of these opportunities. Several types of microspacecraft missions can be accomplished with secondary payloads. We have studied several mission concepts at JPL including advanced technology demonstration platforms, a constellation of climate monitoring microspacecraft, low-cost university technology demonstration platforms, a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) technology validation platform, and the use of Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) for deep space trajectory missions.
