DCUBED is developing both deployable and body-mounted solar arrays for two orbital transfer vehicles of the space logistics company Atomos.
WASHINGTON, March 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — For solar power generation onboard their spacecraft pair Meson and Gluon, the Colorado-based company Atomos Space has established a partnership with DCUBED (Deployables Cubed GmbH), a NewSpace component and subsystem company specializing in mechanisms, solar arrays and deployables for Nano and SmallSats. The deployable solar arrays will supply the spacecraft with high power without sacrificing launch space.
Atomos Space is developing orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) to make any orbit as accessible as low Earth orbit. Their OTVs allow payloads to reach unique destinations on orbit without requiring their own heavy, expensive (high delta-v) propulsion systems. A versatile in-space logistics system allows more adaptability in space, expanding what’s possible. Atomos will use DCUBED deployables and array structures onboard the Meson and Gluon OTVs in their upcoming 2024 mission.
The ongoing transition to NewSpace has resulted in companies to go from larger, heavier satellites in fewer numbers to smaller, lighter, cheaper satellites in higher numbers. At the same time, mission objectives are becoming more and more demanding. These require larger structures, be it large area solar arrays for high power, big antennas for high data rates or large apertures for high-performance imaging. DCUBED develops deployable structures to enable such high-performance satellites and help them tackle the launch limitations.
“We at DCUBED are thrilled to support Atomos on their mission to build the future of orbital logistics and therefore make space accessible for anyone.” said DCUBED CEO Thomas Sinn.
“We are excited to work with DCUBED for our Meson and Gluon vehicles launching in January 2024,” said Atomos Space CEO Vanessa Clark. “Their ESPA-class panels are a great combination of robustness, price, and performance, and importantly for us, they have been agile and able to meet tight schedules and changing conditions.”
About DCUBED
DCUBED located in Germering (Bavaria, Germany) will help you think outside the box with COTS release actuators and COTS deployables that are specifically designed for SmallSat applications. DCUBED’s release actuators are space-proven, readily available, easy to use, and small in size. The DCUBED SmallSat deployables (Space Selfie Stick, solar array and deployable radiator) tackle the needs of new space customers by maximizing performance in space while remaining efficiently packed in a standardized volume for launch.
For more information, visit DCUBED at https://www.dcubed.space/
About Atomos Space
Since its founding in late 2017 by Vanessa Clark and William Kowalski, Atomos Space has worked to revolutionize space logistics by developing and operating orbital transfer vehicle (OTVs) to perform orbit raising, precision insertion, phasing, and plane change services for satellites. Their goal is to enable more commercial companies to operate in space dynamically and sustainably. Whether it is placing new satellites in their final orbit or moving old satellites into new missions, Atomos Space makes space more mobile.
SOURCE Atomos Space
