Innovative Technologies for Operationally Responsive Space

The 2011 launches of ORS-1and TacSat-4 have demonstrated the feasibility to rapidly deploy spacecraft. These successes and progress on the Modular Space Vehicle, along with standardization (Space Plug and Play Architecture) continue to show promise in a responsive space architecture focused on modularity and reconfigurability. There is a need to enhance the capability of small spacecraft to support this paradigm via miniaturized, high performance, and cost-effective components. Small, agile space companies can act as liasons between the commercial and space markets to leverage their strengths to ensure products are robust to the space environment, carry appropriate mission assurance and risk profiles, and can be delivered in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of conventional space components. Honeybee Robotics proposes to offer an attitude determination and control system tailored to nano-sat class spacecraft. This product will enhance and optimize a small spacecrafts attitude control capability at a fraction of the cost and lead time associated with conventional attitude control system designs.