LunarCubes: Mission Modes ( and the AML Mass Driver )

R. Cox (Flexure Engineering) P.E. Clark (CUA) A. Vassant (Flexure Engineering)

CubeSats From “You can’t do that” to 200+ missions in development in the first 10 years.

A good university program can build a CubeSat from start to finish in 2 – 3 years

Multi-Cube Concepts: Racks, Complex Payloads

Deep Space Propulsion Stack (Brandon, CubeSat Lab, Vermont Technical College)

Flexure Engineering LEAG 10/24/2012 Spaceflight / SpaceX

Concepts: Racks, Complex Payloads

Flexure Engineering NLSI Forum 7/19/2012 Spaceflight – Secondary Payload Opportunities

Flexure Engineering LEAG 10/24/2012 The Astrobotic Lander

• 1000 U of Volume • 100 – 200 U Mass

Flexure Engineering LEAG 10/24/2012 Cox’s Theorem : Everything is simple until you measure it

 M3 / LRO / LCROSS  Themis / Artemis  Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission ( RBSP )

Corollary : It doesn’t get simple again until you measure it a lot

 Skimmers / Impactors / Landers  Deterministic and non-deterministic orbital swarms  GTO technology demonstrations and science

Flexure Engineering NLSI Forum 7/19/2012 Orbital Destinations and Transfers in Cislunar Space

Flexure Engineering LEAG 10/24/2012 A Weak Stability Ballistic Transfer in Cislunar Space

Interesting Properties of Weak Stability Transfers

• GTO ride-along offers almost optimal conditions • GTO phasing may require up to 120 Van Allan Belt Passages • Long duration months to years Flexure Engineering LEAG 10/24/2012 NASA ELaNa

Launch Services Program Educational Launch of Nanosatellite

Third Round Of CubeSat Space Mission Candidates

NASA has selected 33 small satellites to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard rockets planned to launch in 2013 and 2014. The proposed CubeSats come from universities across the country, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, NASA field centers and Department of Defense organizations.

 Teaching Engineers about Science  Teaching Scientists about Engineering  Designing a Spacecraft and Mission from end-to-end

Flexure Engineering NLSI Forum 7/19/2012 QB 50 – Fifty CubeSats for Atmospheric Research

Interest to participate in QB50 by signing a Letter of Intent (LoI) has been expressed by over 80 universities from all over the world.

This includes universities in 30 European countries and universities in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, The People’s Republic of China, Ethiopia, India, Israel, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, USA and Vietnam.

For many of these countries, the CubeSats that participate in QB50 will be their first satellite in orbit and a matter of national prestige.

QB50 will eventually involve well over 1000 people from all over the world: 50 (+5 backup) CubeSat teams of 10-20 people each; numerous atmospheric scientists; instrument, orbital dynamics and ground station experts as well as industry and space agency representatives.

Flexure Engineering LEAG 10/24/2012 Another Theorem : You don’t get anywhere without being bold

 Lunar ELaNa - Education  Lunar 50 – Broad international participation  Lunar Geophysical Year 2017 – 2018 ( IGY 60th anniversary )

Flexure Engineering NLSI Forum 7/19/2012 The Advanced Magnet Lab’s Mass Driver

Flexure Engineering NLSI Forum 7/19/2012