Proliferated Pre-Positioned Payload (P4) Construct and FANTM-RiDE Rapid Dispenser Hotswap (RDH) Operational Demonstrations

Despite significant advances and demonstrations of rapid launch in recent years, the US space industry is reaching an asymptotic limit of how quickly it can put satellite capabilities in orbit. Currently, four of the largest limiting impediments to responsive space capability delivery are as follows: Myriad of bespoke mechanical, electrical and informational launch interfaces Costly and schedule intensive coupled loads analyses (CLAs) for late manifest changes Prohibitively long lead times for regulatory licensing and approvals Lack of flight-ready satellites and their deployment systems A true paradigm shift is required to break through this limit to achieve (tactically) responsive cadences to deliver spacecraft to meet customer timeliness requirements. This Direct-to-Phase-II Proposal describes Xtentiĺs approach to further remove responsive space hindrances and develop/demonstrate key space logistics enablers, both launch and delivery on orbit. Xtenti seeks to demonstrate FANTM-RiDE (FR) Dispenserĺs Rapid Dispenser Hot-swap (RDH) capability, as well as two components of Xtentiĺs three-pronged Proliferated Pre-Positioned Payloads (P4) construct utilizing its SEMPER:PARATUS spacecraft bus to payload interface to demonstrate its substantial impact to tactically responsive space. The four main objectives of this proposed research are as follows: Proliferated Pre-Positioned Payloads- Terrestrial (P4-T): Demonstrate preparation, storage, and rapid integration (threshold; and launch, objective) of flight-ready stored FR Dispenser, FRA Deployers, and S:P payloads P4- Orbital Payloads (P4-O): Demonstrate FR Dispenser capability of long-duration on orbit payload storage and on-demand deployment P4- Hosted Payloads (P4-H): Demonstrate the capacity for a FR Hosted Payload capability to build in-space logistics framework FR RDH: Demonstrate FR ability to rapidly swap between launch opportunities without need to re-run Coupled Loads Analyses The proposal will describe Xtentiĺs FR development and demonstration studies executed (and being executed) to date, and it will outline subsequent follow-on research and demo proposed for this contract. Xtentiĺs demonstration will address all four hindrances to tactically responsive space in this research project, enabling substantial reduction in technical complexity, integration and regulatory approval timelines, and payload development and launch costs for both the commercial and US Government space enterprise.