Session
Technical Session I: Production
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Proliferated small satellites are a critical element of achieving a more capable and resilient space enterprise vision. Current game-changing initiatives across the U.S. government seek to achieve robust, agile capabilities inherent with large-scale constellations and to leverage the significant investments being made in the commercial sector. Production scale and pace are critical elements for affordability. A measured balance between modularity, autonomy, rightsized verification concepts, and rigorous supply chain management permits rapid, cost effective mission deployments. Maxar (formerly Space Systems Loral), has gained unique insights to key production methods and lessons learned to enable these capabilities from several active programs, including delivery of nearly 20 SkySat-C spacecraft to Planet, development of Maxar’s WorldView Legion imaging constellation for launch in 2021, and preliminary efforts on Telesat’s LEO 200+ satellite communications constellation. In this paper, we will provide metrics from these programs along with discussion about derived insights, as well as recommendations for how the community should continue to evolve to meet the stringent performance and affordability thresholds required to achieve a resilient proliferated LEO vision.
Key Technology, Programmatic Drivers, and Lessons Learned for Production of Proliferated Small Satellite Constellations
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Proliferated small satellites are a critical element of achieving a more capable and resilient space enterprise vision. Current game-changing initiatives across the U.S. government seek to achieve robust, agile capabilities inherent with large-scale constellations and to leverage the significant investments being made in the commercial sector. Production scale and pace are critical elements for affordability. A measured balance between modularity, autonomy, rightsized verification concepts, and rigorous supply chain management permits rapid, cost effective mission deployments. Maxar (formerly Space Systems Loral), has gained unique insights to key production methods and lessons learned to enable these capabilities from several active programs, including delivery of nearly 20 SkySat-C spacecraft to Planet, development of Maxar’s WorldView Legion imaging constellation for launch in 2021, and preliminary efforts on Telesat’s LEO 200+ satellite communications constellation. In this paper, we will provide metrics from these programs along with discussion about derived insights, as well as recommendations for how the community should continue to evolve to meet the stringent performance and affordability thresholds required to achieve a resilient proliferated LEO vision.
