Eight small-sized satellites total a big bonus for science. The Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) mission uses a swarm of small spacecraft to carry out scientific measurements. Credits: NASA
A cluster of small and low-cost nanosatellites is ready for liftoff from Hawaii – an inventive effort called the Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) mission for scientific, commercial, and academic research tasks in space.
The flock of 8 tissue box-sized satellites is set to ride into Earth orbit as secondary payloads on the U.S. Department of Defense Operationally Responsive Space-4 mission.
Two of the assembled Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) mission satellites. Small, but each nanosatellite is packed with high-tech hardware that can perform a top-notch scientific task. Credits: NASA
A Super Strypi launch vehicle will loft the EDSN mission and other payloads from the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Each of the EDSN satellites carries a science payload: an Energetic Particle Integrating Space Environment Monitor (EPISEM) that counts charged particle events in low-Earth orbit.
Each satellite is only 4 pounds. Carrying no onboard propulsion, once in orbit they will drift apart naturally. They can talk to each other, share data between them and take turns in relaying science data to the ground. Only one satellite needs to contact the ground on each pass in order to transmit the data from all eight.
A swarm of Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) mission satellites are to be deployed in space via a Super Strypi booster lifting off from the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. Credits: Sandia National Laboratories
“We are using one tracking station to collect data from these eight satellites over their short-duration lifetime of a few months,” Petro notes. Explains Roger Hunter, SSTP manager at Ames: “What we learn from EDSN will enable future NASA missions. This will be the first demonstration of a ‘swarm’ of networked nanosatellites.”
“We can easily envision constellations of nanosatellites in the future focused on various scientific missions in earth sciences, heliophysics, planetary sciences, and astrophysics,” Hunter advises.
According to Petro, the EDSN mission, with its freely drifting swarm, is just the beginning. “The next step is to add propulsion so that groups of small satellites can fly in controlled formations.” http://www.nasa.gov/feature/swarming-space-for-science
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