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The Role of Small Satellites in NASA and NOAA Earth Observation Programs (2000) / Chapter Skim
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4 Small Satellite Buses
Pages 31-36

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From page 31...
... Within these constraints, the satellite designer generally wants to maximize resources available to the payload and minimize those required for the spacecraft bus. Consequently, much small satellite technology development effort has been directed toward reducing bus volume, mass, and power consumption, while providing robust capability by increasing battery capacity, solar array efficiency, data memory, processing rates, and so on (NRC, 1994~.
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From page 32...
... A recent RAND study on small spacecraft offers some interesting perspectives on spacecraft costs (Sarsfield, 19971. Traditionally, cost modelers have used a cost estimating relationship based on mass to predict spacecraft development costs.
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From page 33...
... Small spacecraft can be relatively expensive when they retain the complexity required to meet demanding scientific objectives (pointing accuracy, power, processor speed, etc.~. For demanding missions, development costs are a relatively weak function of spacecraft mass; thus, specific cost (cost per unit mass)
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From page 34...
... No supplier had an existing commercial spacecraft bus that could perform these missions without significant modification and attendant costs. The question remaining then was the level of nonrecurring costs needed to modify a commercial bus versus those to configure a standard bus to meet mission requirements.
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From page 35...
... An excellent example of the trend toward streamlined procurement practices was NASA's Rapid Spacecraft Procurement Initiative (NASA, 1997~. Through this solicitation, Goddard Space Flight Center has developed a "catalog" of industrial commercial and standard spacecraft bus offerings that can be quickly procured through indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ)
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From page 36...
... Designing new payloads to match existing bus capabilities offers greater cost-effectiveness, but caution must be exercised not to compromise the scientific mission in doing so. NASA's Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition Initiative exemplifies an innovative approach to matching existing spacecraft buses to payload accommodation requirements.
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Key Terms

  • rapid spacecraft
  • earth observation
  • standard bus
  • development costs
  • spacecraft bus

  • launch vehicles
  • launch vehicle
  • spacecraft development
  • existing spacecraft
  • design requirements

  • mission requirements
  • goddard space
  • limb sounder
  • accommodation requirements
  • observation missions

  • commercial spacecraft
  • standard spacecraft
  • space flight
  • satellite technology
  • payload accommodation

  • microwave limb
  • spacecraft procurement
  • procurement initiative
  • simple spacecraft
  • spacecraft capabilities

  • flight center
  • meet mission
  • bus volume
  • processor speed
  • reducing bus


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