ExoTerra Resource, LLC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: Z4.01
ExoTerra Resource, LLC — SBIR Phase I award from National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
- Amount
- $124,979
- Agency
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase I
- Topic
- Z4.01
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- CO
- Period
- 2015-06-17 → 2015-12-17
Description
Today's CubeSats are inherently power limited due to their small size and available surface area. Today's CubeSats offer <100W of available power. This limits their ability to provide high data rate telecommunications, use high power sensors such as lidars, or to travel to distances beyond 1 AU. ExoTerra's SEP Power Module packages over 200 W of power within 1.6U of volume. This increased performance further expands the capabilities of CubeSats and allows them to venture outside Earth orbit. The power module uses a Z-folded, boom deployed array to tightly stow the solar panels during launch. After deployment, it incorporates a single axis gimbal that allows the array to track the sun, providing increased orbit average power versus fixed arrays. Finally, we improve the power efficiency by integrating a 270V direct drive unit. This couples to an Electric Propulsion system to provide a high efficiency propulsion system that's compatible with rideshare launch restrictions.