Standard Plug and Play Spacecraft Harness Validation for Responsive Small Spacecraft

MSI developed a Standardized Satellite Harness (SSH) specification and a Plug and Play Interface (PPI) concept during the Phase I to address development timelines of R&D satellites and to quickly field the tactical space assets with mission specific payloads. The PPI provides an enveloping capacity of conductor varieties for use by an array of payload suites. Upon determination of the mission and associated payload components, the payload and the payload side of the PPI would be physically mated to the core bus. This allows for a “core bus” to be quickly integrated with a specific payload suite and its wire harness which uses only the conductors required for that defined set of components via common connectors at the PPI. During this Phase II MSI will validate the SSH specification and PPI concept to design, build, and checkout two spacecraft EM and flight harnesses. The first will be a payload specific harness for a medium size R&D spacecraft. This design will include a plug and play (PPI) payload interface that will allow for interface with the core bus. This technique allows for increased efficiencies during I&T by creating standard interface that allow payloads to be checked out prior to I&T start.