Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks A Swarm of Advanced Nanosatellites that Enables Cross-Link Communication and Multipoint Scientific Measurements

The goal of NASA’s Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) mission is to demonstrate interactive satellite swarms capable of collecting, exchanging and transmitting multi-point scientific measurements. Satellite swarms enable a wide array of scientific, commercial and academic research not achievable with a single satellite. The EDSN satellites will be launched into space as secondary payloads on a Department of Defense in late 2015. EDSN Swarm with Highlighted Satellite EDSN consists of a group of eight Data Exchange Methods satellites in a loose cluster arrangement space environment. The measurements that will be deployed approximately 280 from the whole swarm can be combined miles (450 kilometers) above Earth. Each to characterize the radiation environment EDSN satellite is a 1.5-unit (1.5U) CubeSat across a broad volume of space. Data measuring about 4 inches x 4 inches x 6.5 is exchanged among the swarm using a inches (10 centimeters x 10 centimeters hub-and-spoke network. Every 25 hours, x 16 centimeters) and weighing the hub is switched to another satellite approximately 4.5 pounds (2 kilograms). in the swarm, enabling the mission to EDSN satellites were developed to continue in the event that any individual leverage recent advancements in experiences an upset or exceeds spacecraft and commercial off-the-shelf communication range. hardware and software to reduce cost and development time. The EDSN satellites The EDSN swarm has a planned mission employ a commercial smartphone duration of 60 days during which the processor first tested on a series of NASA inter-satellite distances will vary from a Phonesat missions in 2013-14. EDSN uses few miles to several hundred miles. The the same Android smartphone technology satellites will continue recording science to perform many of the spacecraft data and downlinking to the ground station functions normally accomplished with even after they exceed inter-satellite expensive, customized electronics communication range. components. The satellites use time and The launch of tens (or someday hundreds) orbital knowledge provided by GPS data of interacting satellites would enable to autonomously plan activities including an unprecedented amount of sensors, recording sensor data, exchanging inter- communications and computing capability satellite data and downlinking data to a in low-Earth orbit. ground station. have the potential to provide flexible Aboard each satellite is a sensor that data correlation and distribution, system measures the intensity of energetic redundancy, simplification of satellite charged particles in the surrounding operations and the enabling of new multi- satellite science investigations through distributed http://www.nasa.gov/smallsats architectures, sensor webs and disaggregated For more information about the Ames Engineering systems. These architectures can provide enhanced Directorate, visit: scientific data collection for industry, university http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/engineering/ researchers and NASA scientists. For more information about EDSN, please contact: The EDSN project is based at NASA’s Ames Research Deborah Westley Center at Moffett Field, California. EDSN project EDSN Project Manager partners include NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center NASA Ames Research Center in Huntsville, Alabama; Montana State University; and [email protected] Santa Clara University. Roger C. Hunter The EDSN project is funded by NASA’s Small Small Spacecraft Technology Program Manager Spacecraft Technology Program (SSTP), which Space Technology Mission Directorate is chartered to develop and mature technologies NASA Ames Research Center to enhance and expand the capabilities of [email protected] small spacecraft with a particular focus on Andrew Petro communications, propulsion, pointing, power, Small Spacecraft Technology Program Executive and autonomous operations. SSTP is one of nine Space Technology Mission Directorate programs within NASA’s Space Technology Mission NASA Headquarters Directorate. [email protected] For more information about the SSTP, visit:

Completed EDSN Flight Units with Engineers Inspecting EDSN Flight Spares

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035

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