SMEX•Lite:: NASA's next generation Small Explorer

High space mission costs continue to be a major problem for the aerospace community. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Small Explorer (SMEX) Project has made great strides in reducing mission costs by implementing a building block architecture and streamlined mission operations. The project aims to substantially reduce both spacecraft and mission costs further through the introduction of advanced design tools and an advanced technology "function-sliced" architecture. Spacecraft autonomy will be extended such that classical mission operations will be eliminated altogether. This paper will describe the fundamental elements of the planned cost reduction and the "function-sliced" architecture as well as cite those elements of the original SMEX design that have proven to be beneficial.