NASA Extends Contract with CesiumAstro
Plan for Enhanced Starling Mission Capabilities
NASA has awarded a contract extension to CesiumAstro for its revolutionary Starling mission. This extension builds upon the resounding success of CesiumAstro’s custom-developed CommPack cross-link communications payload, which achieved Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL 9) status in late 2023, marking its full operational capability in space.
“This contract extension not only validates the exceptional success of our custom developed CommPack payload but also pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in distributed spacecraft autonomy."
Shey Sabripour, CesiumAstro
The contract extension addresses NASA’s advanced requirement for precise distance measurements between satellites, further enhancing the capabilities of the Starling mission’s collaborative “swarm” of spacecraft.
Key highlights of the contract extension:
Enhanced distance measurement: CesiumAstro will upgrade the custom CommPack system to include high-precision distance measurement capabilities between satellites, pushing the boundaries of inter-satellite communication and coordination.
Improved star tracker navigation: The new functionality will enable more accurate star tracker-based navigation, crucial for spacecraft navigation and orientation in deep space missions.
Seamless integration: The upgrades will be seamlessly integrated with the currently deployed payloads, which include two S-band antennas, a software-defined radio, and CesiumAstro’s proprietary CSMA/TDD waveform.
“This contract extension not only validates the exceptional success of our custom developed CommPack payload but also pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in distributed spacecraft autonomy," said Shey Sabripour, Founder and CEO of CesiumAstro. "By enabling precise distance measurements between satellites, we’re laying the groundwork for even more advanced formation flying and on-orbit servicing missions.”
Launched in July 2023, the Starling mission demonstrates how distributed spacecraft autonomy can increase resilience in space operations. With this contract extension, the mission will now also showcase advanced inter-satellite distance measurement and improved star tracker-based navigation capabilities, further solidifying its position at the forefront of small spacecraft technology.
NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology program, based at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and within the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington, continues to fund and oversee the Starling mission.
This extension reinforces CesiumAstro’s position as a key developer of cutting-edge space communications technology, adding to its growing list of successful developments for civil, commercial, and defense missions.