FLOCS, a Folded-Optic CubeSat Sensor for Littoral Observations
Abstract
A strong candidate for solving the operational requirements of high temporal cadence, high spatial resolution and large area coverage is a constellation of CubeSats, which individually and collectively offer several key benefits. First, a typical CubeSat bus and payload can be manufactured for significantly lower cost than a traditional space-based asset, due in part to lower component cost and significantly smaller size. Radiation requirements for low-earth orbit (LEO) are lower than for satellites in high or geostationary orbits, allowing for the use of industrial or military-grade components. Additionally, manufacturing multiple quantities of identical satellites provides and economy-of-scale in the fabrication and test process. Second, CubeSats are often deployed in at a lower orbital altitude, providing a closer view of the earth which reduces the size of the optics and detectors necessary to make observations. Traditional space-based assets are placed in much higher orbits, partially to increase their operational life by reducing atmospheric drag. Third, multiple CubeSats are commonly deployed from a single launch vehicle, often as secondary payloads. India???s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) recently deployed 104 CubeSats on a single launch. Both of these contribute strongly to an overall reduction in launch cost for a single or multiple CubeSats.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 19, 2018
- Source ID
- N000141812848
Entities
People
- David Landis
Organizations
- Charles Stark Draper Laboratory
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy