High Performance Hybrid Upper Stage for NanoLaunch Vehicles, Phase I

The availability of a dedicated CubeSat launch vehicle will provide NASA a solution for low cost payload insertion for their in-house CubeSats such as IceCube or FireFly. The proposed propulsion solution will offer a significantly higher degree of mission flexibility than is possible with rideshare delivery methods. The specific stages proposed for development would also be ideally suited for integration with current NASA launch vehicle efforts, such as NASA Marshall's NanoLaunch 1200. Either as an integrated component in this vehicle, or as part of another commercial package, the proposed launch vehicle stage will provide NASA the capability to expand programs for universities and research institutions such as the CubeSat Launch Initiative. This solicitation and proposed technology aligns with NASA's 2014 Strategic Plan Objective 3.2, providing access to space. Since 2000, there have been several hundred CubeSats launched, adding value to a variety of commercial, research, civil, and military applications. In 2014, the number of CubeSat lunches has surged in a large part due to the launch of PlanetLabs Flock 1 satellites. This increase in demand has created a backlog for CubeSats for ride along markets. This backlog, as well as the ever growing capability of CubeSats has created a market for dedicated CubeSat launch vehicles. Potential non-NASA customers include universities, small businesses, and research institutes. A number of universities have active CubeSat development programs that would benefit from having a dedicated launch vehicle. The proposed innovation is also an ideal solution to responsive space challenges. Additional commercial applications exist for the proposed 4th stage beyond that of a dedicated launch vehicle upper stage. The stages' compact size allows it to be used as a secondary payload post-deployment propulsion system on many launch vehicles. This will give CubeSats and MicroSats significant delta-V capabilities when launched as a secondary payload. More »