Targets for RADAR Calibration and Test of Advanced Discrimination Technologies and Concepts

Innoflight, Inc. in conjunction with the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California, will investigate and analyze a low-cost nanosat bus to simulate a Ballistic Missile Defense Systems (BDMS) target by combining their experience designing and building affordable, high-performance small spacecraft. The DoD-sponsored NPS brings past and present experience with the PANSAT and NPSAT1 spacecraft. In addition to its successful smallsat flight experience, NPS offers extensive research, design labs, integration facilities and test resources. Innoflight specializes in microsat systems design and specializes in general avionics and communications systems. Innoflight has demonstrated experience with operational on-orbit spacecraft and established secure ground to space networks. The target nanosat Phase I STTR effort is focused on designing a low power, autonomous, three-axis stabilized nanosat capable of performing complex attitude maneuvers for the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The nanosat will offer an innovative and highly optimized systems design that will enable low-cost manufacturing and operations of multiple nanosats deployed from a single ESPA launch. The subsystems will be designed to avoid the traditional interface hardware which is currently used in integrating low-cost solutions resulting in a non-nominal design and increasing costs.