The PowerCube system can serve as a complete bus for small satellites, for applications ranging from rapid-response Earth-sensing to orbital debris remediation (development of such systems is underway at TUI). Allocating a larger portion of the CubeSat mass to fuel would enable PowerCube to be used for CubeSat missions to the moon. Cost-effective inspection of in-orbit resources is possible, from the space station to orbiting satellites. Lastly, the PowerCube could serve as a low-cost technology test platform, providing a testbed that can deliver propulsion, attitude control, and power to experiments or technical demonstrations.
The PowerCube system makes the CubeSat platform significantly more capable and able to serve a broader range of missions. This includes industry, military, and university customers. For industry, the PowerCube system provides an inexpensive platform for Earth sensing with orbit-adjustment capabilities and full attitude control, as well as ample power for communication and instrumentation. As a rapid-response platform for military applications, the PowerCube can provide a low-cost solution for deployment of Earth-sensing or communications capabilities to a specific theater. The thruster and fuel-cell systems are modular and can be split from the remainder of the PowerCube system and marketed as a stand-alone propulsion unit capable of providing 300 Ns of impulse per 100 mL of water and an estimated Δv of 6 m/s each orbit, significantly greater than electric propulsion thrusters at this scale. For university customers this modularity may be complimentary to the technologies being developed in-house in the academic program, allowing them to plug the holes in their program with only the technologies they require.
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