MiTEx

Last updated

MiTEx launching from CCAFS on a Delta II. MiTEx launch on a Delta II 7925.jpg
MiTEx launching from CCAFS on a Delta II.
MiTEx mission patch MiTEx patch sml.jpg
MiTEx mission patch

The Micro-satellite Technology Experiment (MiTEx) is a microsatellite-based mission launched into geosynchronous orbit 21 June 2006 aboard a Delta II rocket. The USAF described the mission as a joint "technology demonstration" mission for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the United States Air Force (USAF) and the United States Navy (US Navy). [1] [2]

Contents

MiTEx consists of three spacecraft; two inspection satellites, designated USA-187 and USA-188, and an experimental upper stage, designated USA-189. [3] The two inspection satellites were initially used to inspect each other; however, they were later used to inspect DSP-23, a failed missile detection satellite, to find out why it stopped operating. [4]

The MiTEx goal was to demonstrate technologies such as lightweight power and propulsion systems, avionics, structures, commercial off-the-shelf components, advanced communications, and on-orbit software environments. [5]

Development

MiTEx was developed with funding from the Microsatellite Demonstration Science and Technology Experiment Program (MiDSTEP). Funding for MiDSTEP (and thus MiTEx) is allocated to DARPA through the "Space Programs and Technology" element of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) "Advanced Technology Development" budget item. DoD budget documents from February 2008 show costs of MiDSTEP in 2007 of US$8 million, in 2008 of US$10 million, and in 2009 of US$8 million. [6] Owen C. Brown was the program manager for the design, integration, test, launch, and demonstration of MiTEx, while he was a program manager in the Tactical Technology Office (TTO) at DARPA. [7]

Launch

The satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 17 on 21 June 2006 at 21:34 UTC using a Delta II carrier rocket flying in a 7925-9.5 configuration. The two inspection satellites were lifted to geosynchronous orbit by a fourth stage of a new, experimental design. The stage was developed at the United States Naval Research Laboratory (USNRL), and it is reportedly equipped with photovoltaic arrays for power. [4]

Mission

Because of their small dimensions (with a mass of 225 kilograms (496 lb) each), the satellites are hard to detect in their geosynchronous orbit, and thus could approach and examine other satellites without being noticed. After completion of their primary mission, the satellites were parked on opposite sides of Earth. During the 2nd week of January 2009, the MiTEx satellites were commanded to approach DSP-23, which had failed two months earlier, and had started to drift by 1° East from its own parking position at 8.5° East. The MiTEx satellite parked over the mid-Atlantic rendezvoused with DSP-23 around 23 December 2008, followed by the 2nd MiTEx satellite one week later. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ion thruster</span> Spacecraft engine that generates thrust by generating a jet of ions

An ion thruster, ion drive, or ion engine is a form of electric propulsion used for spacecraft propulsion. An ion thruster creates a cloud of positive ions from a neutral gas by ionizing it to extract some electrons from its atoms. The ions are then accelerated using electricity to create thrust. Ion thrusters are categorized as either electrostatic or electromagnetic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop Grumman Pegasus</span> Air-launched rocket

Pegasus is an air-launched multistage rocket developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) and later built and launched by Northrop Grumman. Pegasus is the world's first privately developed orbital launch vehicle. Capable of carrying small payloads of up to 443 kg (977 lb) into low Earth orbit, Pegasus first flew in 1990 and remained active as of 2021. The vehicle consists of three solid propellant stages and an optional monopropellant fourth stage. Pegasus is released from its carrier aircraft at approximately 12,000 m (39,000 ft) using a first stage wing and a tail to provide lift and altitude control while in the atmosphere. The first stage does not have a thrust vector control (TVC) system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defense Support Program</span> US infrared satellite early warning system

The Defense Support Program (DSP) is a program of the United States Space Force that operated the reconnaissance satellites which form the principal component of the Satellite Early Warning System used by the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing X-37</span> Reusable robotic spaceplane

The Boeing X-37, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is a reusable robotic spacecraft. It is boosted into space by a launch vehicle, then re-enters Earth's atmosphere and lands as a spaceplane. The X-37 is operated by the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, in collaboration with United States Space Force, for orbital spaceflight missions intended to demonstrate reusable space technologies. It is a 120-percent-scaled derivative of the earlier Boeing X-40. The X-37 began as a NASA project in 1999, before being transferred to the United States Department of Defense in 2004. Until 2019, the program was managed by Air Force Space Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small satellite</span> Satellites of low mass and size, usually under 500 kg

A small satellite, miniaturized satellite, or smallsat is a satellite of low mass and size, usually under 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). While all such satellites can be referred to as "small", different classifications are used to categorize them based on mass. Satellites can be built small to reduce the large economic cost of launch vehicles and the costs associated with construction. Miniature satellites, especially in large numbers, may be more useful than fewer, larger ones for some purposes – for example, gathering of scientific data and radio relay. Technical challenges in the construction of small satellites may include the lack of sufficient power storage or of room for a propulsion system.

Lockheed Martin Space is one of the four major business divisions of Lockheed Martin. It has its headquarters in Littleton, Colorado, with additional sites in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Sunnyvale, California; Santa Cruz, California; Huntsville, Alabama; and elsewhere in the United States and United Kingdom. The division currently employs about 20,000 people, and its most notable products are commercial and military satellites, space probes, missile defense systems, NASA's Orion spacecraft, and the Space Shuttle external tank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FalconSAT</span> Program within the United States Air Force Academy for building small satellites

FalconSAT is the United States Air Force Academy's (USAFA) small satellite engineering program. Satellites are designed, built, tested, and operated by Academy cadets. The project is administered by the USAFA Space Systems Research Center under the direction of the Department of Astronautics. Most of the cadets who work on the project are pursuing a bachelor of science degree in astronautical engineering, although students from other disciplines join the project.

The Space Test Program (STP) is the primary provider of spaceflight for the United States Department of Defense (DoD) space science and technology community. STP is managed by a group within the Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, a directorate of the Space and Missile Systems Center of the United States Space Force. STP provides spaceflight via the International Space Station (ISS), piggybacks, secondary payloads and dedicated launch services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ARGOS (satellite)</span> American scientific satellite

The Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS) was launched on 23 February 1999 carrying nine payloads for research and development missions by nine separate researchers. The mission terminated on 31 July 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Space Operations Squadron</span> U.S. Space Force unit

The 1st Space Operations Squadron is a United States Space Force unit responsible for space-based space domain awareness. Located at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, the squadron operates the Space Based Space Surveillance system, the Advanced Technology Risk Reduction system, the Operationally Responsive Space-5 satellite, and the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minotaur IV</span> Space launch vehicle

Minotaur IV, also known as Peacekeeper SLV and OSP-2 PK is an active expendable launch system derived from the LGM-118 Peacekeeper ICBM. It is operated by Northrop Grumman Space Systems, and made its maiden flight on 22 April 2010, carrying the HTV-2a Hypersonic Test Vehicle. The first orbital launch occurred on 26 September 2010 with the SBSS satellite for the United States Air Force.

SNAP-1 is a British nanosatellite in low Earth orbit. The satellite was built at the Surrey Space Centre by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) and members of the University of Surrey. It was launched on 28 June 2000 on board a Kosmos-3M rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. It shared the launch with a Russian Nadezhda search and relay spacecraft and the Chinese Tsinghua-1 microsatellite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orbital propellant depot</span> Cache of propellant used to refuel spacecraft

An orbital propellant depot is a cache of propellant that is placed in orbit around Earth or another body to allow spacecraft or the transfer stage of the spacecraft to be fueled in space. It is one of the types of space resource depots that have been proposed for enabling infrastructure-based space exploration. Many depot concepts exist depending on the type of fuel to be supplied, location, or type of depot which may also include a propellant tanker that delivers a single load to a spacecraft at a specified orbital location and then departs. In-space fuel depots are not necessarily located near or at a space station.

Space Infrastructure Servicing (SIS) is a spacecraft concept being developed by Canadian aerospace firm MDA to operate as a small-scale in-space refueling depot for communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space tether missions</span> Space technology using tethers

A number of space tethers have been deployed in space missions. Tether satellites can be used for various purposes including research into tether propulsion, tidal stabilisation and orbital plasma dynamics.

The EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) is an adapter for launching secondary payloads on orbital launch vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laser Communications Relay Demonstration</span> NASA payload launched in 2021

The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) is a NASA mission that will test laser communication in space for extremely long distances, between Earth and geosynchronous orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Propellant Infusion Mission</span> NASA satellite testing a new rocket fuel

The Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) was a NASA technology demonstrator project that tested a less toxic and higher performance/efficiency chemical propellant for next-generation launch vehicles and CubeSat spacecraft. When compared to the present high-thrust and high-performance industry standard for orbital maneuvering systems, which for decades, have exclusively been reliant upon toxic hydrazine based propellant formulations, the "greener" hydroxylammonium nitrate (HAN) monopropellant offers many advantages for future satellites, including longer mission durations, additional maneuverability, increased payload space and simplified launch processing. The GPIM was managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and was part of NASA's Technology Demonstration Mission Program within the Space Technology Mission Directorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laser communication in space</span> Communication using lasers in outer space

Laser communication in space is the use of free-space optical communication in outer space. Communication may be fully in space or in a ground-to-satellite or satellite-to-ground application. The main advantage of using laser communications over radio waves is increased bandwidth, enabling the transfer of more data in less time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Repair Satellite Prototype</span> 2018 microsatellite with two robotic arms

RSat-P is a microsatellite built by the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland. The small spacecraft is a 3U CubeSat intended to demonstrate capabilities for minor in-orbit repair of a much larger, conventional spacecraft.

References

  1. "Cape launches Delta II, MiTEx satellite". USAF. 23 June 2006.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  2. Osborn, Michael; Clauss, Craig; Gorin, Barney; Netwall, Chris (18 June 2012). "Micro-Satellite Technology Experiment (MiTEx) Upper Stage Propulsion System Development". AIAA Journal. 43rd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference (Rocket-Based Propulsion): 1. doi:10.2514/6.2007-5434. ISBN   978-1-62410-011-6 via The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
  3. "SPACEWARN Bulletin No. 632". NASA GSFC. 1 July 2006.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  4. 1 2 3 Covault, Craig (14 January 2009). "Secret inspection satellites boost space intelligence ops". Spaceflight Now.
  5. Ray, Justin (22 June 2006). "Experimental Military Microsatellites Reach Orbit". space.com. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  6. "RDT&E BUDGET ITEM JUSTIFICATION SHEET (R-2 Exhibit)" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. February 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 May 2011.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. "Acquiring Space Systems in an Uncertain Future" (PDF). November 2009.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .