NASA ISAT

The iSAT mission will demonstrate a viable high delta-V primary propulsion system, using iodine prop Busek Co. Inc.

NASA’s Game Changing Development (GCD), under the Space Technology Mission Directorate, investigates technology approaches to solve significant challenges for today's and future missions. The GCD program is maturing the iodine propulsion system that will be demonstrated by iSAT, a viable high delta-V primary propulsion system that can be used on NanoSats (1-10kg), MicroSats (10-100 kg), and MiniSa

ts (100-500kg) using a propellant, iodine, that is easy to store and provides a high thrust-to-mass ratio, or in space propulsion (ISP). CubeSats are traditionally limited to draft in the orbit in which they are deployed as a secondary payload, but the iodine Hall system can allow the spacecraft to transfer into a higher value science orbit. iSAT will be able to achieve a delta-V of greater than 500 m/s with less than 1 kg of solid iodine propellant, which can be stored in an unpressurized benign state prior to launch. The propulsion system will be based on a 200W Hall Thruster developed by Busek Co. Inc., which has previously flown using xenon as the fuel instead of iodine. This allows iSAT to alter its orbit inclination and elevation, opening up a wider range of mission objectives than previously possible with spacecraft of this size and allowing for control of spacecraft deorbit. For the iSAT mission, Glenn Research Center (GRC) functions as both the Principal Investigator and the propulsion lead. supplies propulsion system components, chiefly the thruster, cathode, and Power Processing Unit (PPU). Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing the flight systems to support iSAT mission objectives.

07/09/2015

Next Tuesday, watch NASA TV as my colleague, the New Horizons spacecraft, makes history as it encounters Pluto after a journey of more than nine years and 3 billion miles.

Don't miss the arrival to Pluto countdown live on NASA TV, with coverage from 6:30 to 7 a.m. CDT July 14. At approximately 6:49 a.m., New Horizons is scheduled to be as close as the spacecraft will get to Pluto—about 7,800 miles above the surface.

For much of the day, New Horizons will be out of communication with mission control as it gathers data about Pluto and its moons.

The moment of closest approach will be marked during the live NASA TV broadcast that includes a countdown and discussion of what's expected next as New Horizons makes its way past Pluto and potentially dangerous debris.

06/29/2015

Steve Jurczyk, left, visited NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center June 16. John Dankanich, center, and Kurt Polzin show Jurczyk the iSAT spacecraft being developed for STMD.

Scheduled to launch in 2017, the iSAT spacecraft will be launched into a sun-synchronous orbit, where it will begin a one-year mission to demonstrate the ability of the Hall thruster iodine propulsion system to shift its orbit.

06/25/2015

NASAiSAT supports NASA's CineSpace Challenge! Some pretty great awards. Check it out and Share with budding film makers that love NASA and space!

NASA and the Houston Cinema Arts Society offers filmmakers around the world a chance to share their works inspired by and using actual NASA imagery through "CineSpace,"…

06/23/2015

iSAT Wizard John educates the public at a successful NASA on The Square event in downtown Huntsville.

06/18/2015

NASA's iSAT is scheduled to attend "NASA on the Square," Saturday, June 21st in Huntsville, Alabama!

This event will salute Marshall Space Flight Center's past successes and highlight its current and future work aimed at sending humans to Mars and beyond.

Come out and enjoy this fun and free event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Make sure to visit the iSAT booth and say hello to our propulsion wizards.

05/04/2015

Someday soon, that will be me!

The International Space Station is caught here flying by the moon! It's seen as a small object in upper left of this image of the moon in the early evening Jan. 4, 2012, in the skies over the Houston area flying at an altitude of 390.8 kilometers (242.8 miles). The space station can occasionally be seen in the night sky with the naked eye and a pair of field binoculars.

Want to know when the space station will fly over you? Visit: http://spotthestation.nasa.gov

04/29/2015

NASA's iSAT (Iodine Satellite) visits Southern California's Tessmann Planetarium at Santa Ana College. College MESA students learned about the iSAT and iodine propulsion.

12/15/2014

End view and side view of the Busek BHT-200, 200-W iSAT development thruster operating in the test chamber! Amazing plume!

12/05/2014

A new era of space flight and exploration has begun!

12/04/2014

Orion spacecraft ready for launch.

10/22/2014

The iSAT mission makes its Education and Public Outreach debut at Santa Ana College for STEM week - November 3-7th, with a campus wide student and faculty presentation!

08/15/2014

The iSAT spacecraft will be launched into a sun-synchronous orbit in late 2017, where it will begin a one year mission. iSAT will demonstrate the ability of the iodine Hall Thruster propulsion system to shift its orbit.

iSAT will also act as a spacecraft bus for an earth observation payload, prior to completing a deorbit maneuver to ensure spacecraft re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere, eliminating orbital debris, within 90 days of the mission end.

Address

Huntsville, AL

Telephone

+12565443441

Website

http://nasaisatmission.wordpress.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when NASA ISAT posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Government Service in Huntsville?