What a year for the small satellite industry! Launching spacecraft through rideshare or "piggy back" is not a new concept, but in 2013, it became mainstream. Records for the number of payloads on one launch vehicle were set and broken within days of each other. 29 satellites were launched on a Minotaur and three days later 32 were launchedon Dnepr. 2014 should be a great year for Spaceflight, with 30 payloads onboard the ORB 1 mission heading to ISS for
Yesterday, Skybox Imaging, a commercial company in Mountain View (CA), released the first images from SkySat-1, crisp, clear and astonishing photos with details as small as car colors easily visible. The resolution is high (sub-one-meter) for any satellite, but small size of SkySat-1 makes it even more remarkable.
SkySat-1’s high resolution images are clearer than even NASA’s legacy LandSat project. Admittedly, SkySat-1 is optimized for high resolution an
At Spaceflight, we get pretty excited about rocket launches. More launches mean more opportunities for small satellites, like the ones we integrate, to fly! So, though we already stream most launches, SpaceX’s SES-8 launch grabbed all our attention last week.
Last Monday, although no one admitted it until T-20 minutes, most of us were streaming the SES-8 launch on our work computers. Once we realized that we all were watching it anyway, one of the e...
Spaceflight Industries (Spaceflight) announced today that they've completed on-time delivery of four more Cargo Module Power Units (CMPUs) to Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) which supply power to payloads aboard Orbital's Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft.The CMPUs provide up to 150 Watts of 28VDC payload power to mid-deck locker payloads destined for the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Cygnus cargo vehicle. These units wi
Spaceflight Industries (Spaceflight) today announced that it has signed a contract with an undisclosed customer to deliver two Earth imaging microsatellites in 2014.SCOUT is a low cost, high performance imaging spacecraft based on the SENTRY 4000 microsatellite bus. Each SCOUT spacecraft relies heavily on products and components designed and built by Spaceflight Industries integrated with a payload provided by an external partner. The satellite desig
We have successfully completed the full space qualification of our CORTEX avionics line. CORTEX avionics are built in slices, each slice is enclosed in a thin aluminum frame containing the Printed Circuit Assembly (PCA) card and a flex harness terminating to one or more external connectors. The PCAs conform to the CubeSat form factor and are available in a wide range of Models suitable for most any space application. The slices are modular to allow f
We have successfully completed the full space qualification of our CORTEX Battery Unit (CBU). With a mass of approximately 2.75 kg (6.06 lbm) and volume of 68.9 mm x 126.5 mm x 177.80 mm
(2.714" x 4.98" x 7.00") this compact assembly provides 216 W-Hr of energy at up to 8 V across two Yardney NCP 25-1 cells. Each unit comes equipped with internal LM135A precision temperature sensors providing both the individual cell temperatures through the ext
Company’s CMPUs to Support Orbital’s Cygnus™ Spacecraft Cargo Logistics Missions to International Space Station
Spaceflight Industries (Spaceflight) today announced today that they've received orders from Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) for four additional Cargo Module Power Units (CMPUs) to supply power to payloads aboard Orbital's Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft.
The CMPUs provide up to 150 Watts of 28VDC payload power to mid-deck locker
Spaceflight, Inc (Spaceflight) contracted with Spaceflight Industries (Spaceflight) for the delivery of ten (10) US fabricated EZPOD CubeSat dispensers.
In October 2012 Spaceflight signed an agreement with ISIS of the Netherlands to begin manufacturing a US version of the ISIPOD, branded the EZPOD, in the United States. The EZPOD is designed to accommodate spacecraft that conform to the Cal Poly P-POD spacecraft envelope while offering a lower-cost, dom
