PowerCube: Integrated Power, Propulsion, and Pointing for CubeSats

Tethers Unlimited, Inc. proposes to develop the PowerCube, an integrated power, propulsion, and pointing solution for CubeSats. The PowerCube combines three innovative components: a high-power deployable solar array able to provide up to 100W peak power to the CubeSat, a regenerative fuel cell energy storage system that doubles as a gH2/gO2 thruster, and a 'carpal joint' gimbal that enables sun pointing of the solar panel as well as precise pointing of payloads. This highly integrated system will provide power generation, power storage, propulsion, attitude control, and payload pointing capabilities that will enable the CubeSat platform to be used to perform missions previously possible only on much larger platforms. Our Phase I effort will focus on design and implementation of the regenerative fuel cell/thruster component, with the objective of maximizing orbit average power capabilities, and in the Phase II effort we will combine this power storage/propulsion technology with deployable panel and gimbal technologies we are currently developing under a separate program to create the PowerCube system. This highly-integrated, compact subsystem will provide order-of-magnitude performance improvements in several metrics for CubeSats, enabling this low-cost platform to perform challenging science and exploration missions that previously could only be accomplished by much larger spacecraft.

The power, propulsion, and pointing capabilities provided by the PowerCube will enable the DoD, National Security Space organizations, and commercial entities to utilize the low-cost, responsive CubeSat platform to accomplish high performance missions such as inspection of space objects for Space Situational Awareness, radar and lidar mapping, and synthetic aperture signal collection using clusters of CubeSats.

The PowerCube will provide order-of-magnitude improvements in power, propulsion, and pointing capabilities for CubeSat systems, enabling NASA science and exploration programs to use this low-cost platform to conduct a variety of missions that are not possible with the current state-of-the-art CubeSat systems. The PowerCube could enable CubeSats launched into GTO on ride-share opportunities to transfer to lunar orbit to perform communications relay, mapping, and other scientific missions. It could also provide the power, maneuvering, and pointing capabilites required to enable CubeSats to contribute to exploration of asteroids and other deep space objects.

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.

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