NASA Announces Next Opportunity for CubeSat Space Missions

Hello reader!

It follows an article published in the day (08/07), in the website www.spacedaily.com, pointing out that NASA announces next opportunity for CubeSat Space Missions.

Duda Falcão

MICROSAT BLITZ

NASA Announces Next

Opportunity for CubeSat Space Missions

By Staff Writers

Washington DC (SPX) Aug 07, 2014

One goal of the CubeSat Launch

Initiative is extend the successes of space

exploration to all 50 states by launching a

small satellite from at least one participant

in each state in the next five years.

NASA is opening the next round of its CubeSat Launch Initiative, part of the White House Maker Initiative, in an effort to engage the growing community of space enthusiasts that can contribute to NASA's space exploration goals.

The CubeSat Launch Initiative gives students, teachers and faculty a chance to get hands-on flight hardware development experience in the process of designing, building and operating small research satellites. It also provides a low-cost pathway to space for research in the areas of science, exploration, technology development, education or operations consistent with NASA's Strategic Plan.

Applicants must submit their proposals electronically by 4:30 p.m. EST, Nov. 25. NASA will select the payloads by Feb. 6, 2015, but selection does not guarantee a launch opportunity.

Selected experiments are slated to be flown as auxiliary payloads on agency rocket launches or be deployed from the International Space Station beginning in 2015 and running through 2018.

NASA does not provide funding for the development of the small satellites and this opportunity is open only to U.S. non-pro?t organizations and accredited educational organizations.

One goal of the CubeSat Launch Initiative is extend the successes of space exploration to all 50 states by launching a small satellite from at least one participant in each state in the next five years. To this end, NASA is particularly focused this round on gaining participation in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 21 states not previously selected for the CubeSat Launch Initiative.

These states are: Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

CubeSats are in a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. The base CubeSat dimensions are about 4x4x4 inches (10x10x11 centimeters), which equals one "Cube," or 1U. CubeSats supported by this launch effort include volumes of 1U, 2U, 3U, and 6U.

CubeSats of 1U, 2U and 3U size typically have a mass of about three pounds (1.33 kilograms) per 1U Cube. A 6U CubeSat typically has a mass of about 26.5 pounds (12 kilograms). The CubeSat's final mass depends on which deployment method is selected.

To date, NASA has selected 114 CubeSats from 29 states, 17 of which have already been launched. Nine more CubeSats are scheduled to go into space in the next 12 months.

Fonte: Site http://www.spacedaily.com

Comentário: Veja você leitor como aliar visão, organização, ação e comprometimento para se obter resultados. 114 cubesats de 29 estados americanos foram selecionados pela NASA, onde 17 deles já foram lançados no espaço e 9 deles serão lançados nos próximos 12 meses. Está é uma clara demonstração da importância que a NASA está dando a tecnologia de Cubesats, como também uma clara demonstração do mercado de lançamento que está se abrindo para veículos lançadores especializados no lançamento desses tipos de cargas útéis, não sendo por acaso o aumento de projetos de lançadores desse tipo no mundo. No Brasil a nossa Agência Espacial de Brinquedo (AEB) está divulgando o lançamento de três cubesats (um dos quais já foi lançado, o NanosatC-Br1) e de um tubesat para o ano de 2014, coisa que se realmente se concluir será bastante significativo. Entretanto, vale dizer que outros projetos nessa área, como o do NanosatC-Br2 e da fantástica Sonda Lunar do Grupo ZENITH/USP/AIRVANTIS, entre outros, precisam ainda do apoio da AEB para seus projetos, fora o fato do presidente da Agência compartilhar (quem cala consente) com o boicote do governo que vem prejudicando sensivelmente o desenvolvimento de nossos veículos lançadores.