Rapidly Reconfigurable Small-Sats for Enhanced Mission Capabilities

NOVI’s offering is aimed at providing NASA with a modular and easily reconfigurable spacecraft bus that uses a customizable chassis structure in conjunction with a common set of avionics components and sub-systems for rapid and flexible deployment of payloads / constellations. The proposed approach not only offers new capabilities, timelines and cost paradigms for fielding CubeSat and ESPA-class spacecraft for a wide variety of mission needs and requirements, but also supports existing efforts to create more readily available COTS-based state-of-the-art products that enable modular, plug-and-play functionality. As part of the proposed Phase I effort, NOVI will: Demonstrate the flexibility and utility of the overall approach by focusing on a complicated and “distributed” payload for in-orbit capture and servicing, and use it to complete the detailed design of a “semi-customized” spacecraft tailored for this use-case; Explore the use of AM to incorporate a high delta-V propulsion system with conformal tanks and propellant feed system elements, as well as an AM-based launch adapter and deployment system; and Develop and trade workflow models for a longer-term manufacturing cell and “production-line” that combines flexible AM structure with an inventory of standardized, batch-sourced components to realize modular, swappable architectures that can rapidly be tailored for novel applications (without the need for significant modifications to existing systems and platforms).

NOVI’s offerings are part of a broader set of capabilities to realize a new generation of rapidly-reconfigurable small-sats that combine batch-sourced COTS components with highly-integrated AM-based cellular manufacturing to offer a low-cost and efficient approach for rapid constellation deployment and replenishment. The solutions will support multiple NASA initiatives ranging from LEO-based operations to deep space exploration and habitation, with direct applications supporting SMD, STMD and the Earth Science and Heliophysics divisions.

NOVI’s modular, batch-fabricated small-sats are also targeted towards an emerging class of commercial players aiming to develop and operate LEO constellations for earth observation, broadband connectivity, IoT, weather monitoring, AIS, space-based data storage, and a host of other use-cases (representing a global small-sat market that is growing at a 20% CAGR to reach $5.3B by 2021).

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.