{"id":18413,"date":"2018-08-06T23:22:27","date_gmt":"2018-08-06T15:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/aerospace-corp-lays-out-launch-unit-standard-for-medium-small-satellites\/"},"modified":"2018-08-06T23:22:27","modified_gmt":"2018-08-06T15:22:27","slug":"aerospace-corp-lays-out-launch-unit-standard-for-medium-small-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/aerospace-corp-lays-out-launch-unit-standard-for-medium-small-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"Aerospace Corp. lays out \u2018Launch Unit\u2019 standard for medium small satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Medium-class
The Launch-U standard is designed to apply to satellites bigger than a CubeSat but smaller than an ESPA-class secondary payload. (Aerospace Corp. Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LOGAN, Utah \u2014 Tiny satellites have their own 4-inch CubeSat standard size, and bigger satellites have a size standard as well. But there\u2019s an awkward gap where no one can agree on exactly how big a satellite should be. Until now.<\/p>\n

Today The Aerospace Corp. took the wraps off a proposed size and weight standard it calls the \u201cLaunch Unit.\u201d According the standard, a Launch-U satellite and its separation system would fill a volume of 45 by 45 by 60 centimeters (1.5 by 1.5 by 2 feet), or about the size of an end table or two carry-on pieces of luggage strapped together. (Or, for that matter, a pirate chest.)<\/p>\n

The mass could range from 60 to 80 kilograms (132 to 176 pounds), with a roughly balanced center of gravity, according to a technical paper issued to coincide with the SmallSat Conference here in Logan. For vibration purposes, the payload\u2019s fundamental frequency would have to be above 50 Hz in any direction.<\/p>\n

Launch-U builds on the 10-by-10-by-10-centimeter Cubesat standard, which can apply to 1-unit satellites (1U) or bigger satellites (for example, a 6U satellite, which would be roughly 10 by 20 by 30 centimeters). One Launch-U equals roughly 96 CubeSat units.<\/p>\n

Like those CubeSat U\u2019s, Launch-U\u2019s can build up like Lego blocks. The nose cone, or fairing, on Rocket Lab\u2019s Electron rocket can accommodate two Launch-U\u2019s worth of payload. A Minotaur I rocket can accommodate five Launch-U\u2019s, and Virgin Orbit\u2019s LauncherOne has room for seven Launch-U\u2019s.<\/p>\n

The new unit was developed in cooperation with leading launch providers and logistics companies, including United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Virgin Orbit and Seattle-based Spaceflight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal was to create a standard that industry would view as enabling rather than an impediment to growth,\u201d Randy Villahermosa, general manager of Aerospace\u2019s Innovation Initiatives, said today in a news release. \u201cAerospace was a key broker in making this a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aerospace CEO Steve Isakowitz said the Launch-U team\u2019s efforts should \u201clead to shorter integration timelines and increased access to space.\u201d<\/p>\n

The standard should also give satellite operators more versatility in choosing launch vehicles, said Launch-U project lead Carrie O\u2019Quinn, senior project engineer for Aerospace\u2019s Research and Development Department.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoving the Launch-Unit satellite from, say, an Electron to a LauncherOne \u2026 you can do that seamlessly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She said the Launch-U standard also meshes well with the next size up on the satellite scale, which follows a standard known as ESPA (EELV Secondary Payload Adapter). The standard unit for ESPA-class satellites measures 61 by 71 by 97 centimeters, with a weight standard of 180 kilograms (400 pounds).<\/p>\n

O\u2019Quinn told GeekWire that the Launch-U standard would be formalized over the months ahead, and then submitted to the AIAA or the ISO to administer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Launch-U standard is designed to apply to satellites bigger than a CubeSat but smaller than an ESPA-class secondary payload. (Aerospace Corp. Photo) LOGAN, Utah \u2014 Tiny satellites have their own 4-inch CubeSat standard size, and bigger satellites have a size standard as well. But there\u2019s an awkward gap where no one can agree on exactly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[20,508,4760],"class_list":["post-18413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-satellite","tag-smallsat","tag-the-aerospace-corp"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18413"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18413\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}