Very Low Frequency Propagation Mapper (VPM) Experience and Results from the Systems Engineering Cycle of a Small Satellite

Very Low Frequency Propagation Mapper (VPM) Experience and Results from the Systems Engineering Cycle of a Small Satellite

Utah State University, Logan, UT

The Very Low Frequency Propagation Mapper, an Air Force Research Laboratory 6U CubeSat, is currently in operations complementing the Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) satellite by taking coincident measurements with DSX of the inner magnetosphere. This presents an exciting way to have a low-cost platform enhance an existing mission’s data set with multiple spatial collection points. The Small Satellite Portfolio (SSP) had overall responsibility for the vehicle, ground system, and mission design; by enabling the team to make technical and programmatic decisions on their own, the team has been able to overcome many hurdles in short timeframes. Further, the team was constructed with a diverse set of skills to handle the many complexities of space systems. Finally, the team, and SSP as a whole, recognize that changes to the system and mission are not only expected but desired as mission maturity is gained. This paper outlines a selected set of issues and challenges that occurred, the ways the team dynamically handled the situations, and lessons learned for systems that are constrained in both cost and capability (e.g. small satellites).