SoylentNews

takyon writes:

NASA is looking to bolster small satellite projects (such as CubeSats):

NASA announces the addition of its newest virtual institute to advance the field of small spacecraft systems. The Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI), hosted at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, will leverage the growing small spacecraft community, promote innovation, identify emerging technology opportunities, and provide an efficient channel for communication about small spacecraft systems with industry, academia, and other government agencies.

[...] Depending on the mission objective, a small spacecraft can range in size from a postage-stamp (under an ounce) up to the size of a refrigerator (about 400 pounds). Many recently launched NASA small spacecraft conform to the CubeSat standards - established by academia - in which a single cube (called a one-unit, or 1U) measures about 4 inches on each side, has an approximate volume of one quart, and weighs less than three pounds. The variety of sizes offers spacecraft capabilities tailored to specific science instruments, exploration sensors, or technology demonstrations.

NASA will collaborate with private companies (for example, those that are imaging the Earth or asteroids using satellites):

The White House is announcing its plan today to promote the use of small space satellites — a move aimed at strengthening the U.S.' burgeoning commercial space industry. The project, called "Harnessing the Small Satellite Revolution," is meant to spur collaboration between government agencies, including NASA, and the private sector to find practical uses for small satellites, or smallsats.

These tiny space probes — which weigh anywhere between a few hundred pounds to just a few ounces — can be valuable tools for planetary scientists, as well as provide internet access and monitor space traffic. That's why the White House is looking for ways to boost smallsat production, as well as find ways these private spacecraft can benefit the government. So as part of the new initiative, NASA will be spending up to $25 million to purchase data collected by private companies' smallsats. For now, the space agency is looking for data that can help with its study of Earth science, like detailed images of the planet's surface. NASA will also spend an extra $5 million to make this smallsat technology even more robust.

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