Combining an electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) payload on one spacecraft with a SAR payload on a spacecraft flying in tandem with the EO/IR spacecraft will provide day/night/all weather surveillance capability. For an active payload that requires 2,560 watts at 800 km altitude, only 40 watts (1:R3) or 10 watts (1:R4) would be required at 200 km altitude. Regarding passive payloads, if 1 m optics is required at 800 km, only 0.25 m optics would be required at 200 km. Whereas the benefit of low altitude operations is 1:1 for passive payloads (still quite a good impact), for active payloads the benefit varies approximately between ~1:R3 and ~1:R4, which represents a huge advantage relative to the being able to reduce mass, volume, and especially power for the host satellite. In addition, evaluations have been completed that would support a LIDAR payload. Finally, all versions of the spacecraft utilize Autonomous Orbit Control (AOC) that enables precision advance mission planning, of particular importance for all but the CDV when constellations are involved because there is no need for ground control of the orbit of each spacecraft.Ī preliminary design associated with a variant that has a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload has been completed. In addition, NanoEye, SpaceHawk, and MicroEye all have rapid scanning capability, again far in excess of any known spacecraft, that enable on the order of 1,000 images to be taken during a single pass, with no target optimization required. Further, all of the spacecraft incorporate Microcosm’s all-composite unibody structure with mostly space-qualified CubeSat bus components. All of these vehicles have several km/sec of maneuvering delta-V that enable significant orbit agility far beyond the capabilities of any typical COTS spacecraft of comparable mass. 2, support a wide range of military and commercial missions. 1), and the CubeSat Delivery Vehicle (CDV) shown in Fig. NanoEye and its several variants, including SpaceHawk, MicroEye (Fig.
SmallSat Missions: Debris Monitoring, CubeSat Delivery, Frequent Revisit Missions Phase I will quantify the expected cost and performance and create an implementation plan for creating “GPS for the 21st century.” In addition, the system can be easily modified or expanded to meet evolving needs and capabilities. Enhanced performance in “urban canyons”.
Substantial reduction in sustainment cost.
Combining the potential for extensive on-board and user-equipment processing, asymmetric coverage, spot beams for local signal enhancement, and the intelligent use of external information (as done with smartphones), the system can provide: Air Force entitled “Flexible, Expandable Architecture for Next Generation GPS.” In the current program, Microcosm proposes a new GPS architecture that is both flexible and expandable to be able to adapt to advancing technology and changing needs, such as the need to work in the presence of man-made interference, challenging terrain, or urban canyons.
Though our town is small and provincial, it is a true microcosm to the country as a whole.Microcosm has extensive experience in supporting GPS mission and system engineering activities, including a current Phase I SBIR contract with the U.S. Definition of microcosm in English English dictionary a smaller system which is representative of or analogous to a larger one