MightySat II: Rapid access to space for the Air Force Research Laboratory

MightySat is a United States Air Force (USAF) multi-mission, small satellite program dedicated to providing rapid, frequent, on-orbit demonstrations of high-payoff space system technologies. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the USAF center for space technology research & development. MightySat platforms provide the on-orbit "lab bench" for responsively testing emerging technologies to ensure their readiness for operational Air Force missions. This paper focuses on the MightySat II series of vehicles being developed largely by Spectrum Astro, Inc. in Gilbert, AZ. MightySat II Flight 1 ("Sindri"), a 275 lb. satellite designed for deployment from either the Orbital/Suborbital Program (OSP) or the Space Transportation System (STS), is now in final design stages, with Critical Design Review completed November 1997. Details of the current spacecraft bus design and upcoming integration and testing (I&T) plans are discussed. The development and integration of the advanced technology payloads for Sindri, namely the (I) Fourier Transform Hyperspectral Imager (FTHSI), (2) Advanced Thruster, (3) Plume Diagnostic Experiment (PDE), (4) Quad-C40 processor (QC40), (5) Solar Array Concentrator (SAC), (6) Shaped Memory Allow Thermoplastic Tailoring Experiment (SMATTE), (7) Solar Array Flex Interconnect (SAFI), and (8) advanced composite bus structure are described. A brief summary of future MightySat II vehicles and missions (Flights 2 through 5) is also provided.