Goddard SmallSat Technology and Capabilities
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center brings years of expertise in small satellite technology development and mission planning to the SmallSat community.
Want to partner with NASA? There are several ways to work with us:
- Technology License: Through NASA’s Technology Transfer Program, members of the public can license patented technologies for their own use, saving valuable time and resources. Instead of starting from scratch, companies can incorporate Goddard technologies into their mission design, freeing up resources for other parts of the mission.
- Launch Facilities: Use our launch facilities at the Wallops Flight Facility through formed agreements.
- Integration and Test Facilities: Use our labs and environmental test facilities through partnerships, collaborations and formed agreements.
- Mission Proposals: Partner with us on your next mission with access to world-class scientist, managers and engineers.
- Technology Developments: If you have a technology need in common with us, we can develop the technology together sharing expertise and resources through no-funding exchange agreements.
- Integration with the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program for furthering technological developments.
Below, you will find a list of featured technologies and capabilities available for licensing or partnership. To learn more, or if you have questions about specific technology needs, please contact Goddard's Strategic Partnerships Office at techtransfer@gsfc.nasa.gov.
Featured Technologies
SpaceCube v3.0 Mini
SpaceCube v3.0 Mini is a multi-purpose, high-performance processor card for CubeSats and SmallSats. It features the radiation-tolerant Kintex UltraScale FPGA with a MicroBlaze soft processor core running GSFC’s core Flight System. The "Mini" card is a key enabler for reducing SWaP-C in the MARES architecture. Individual licenses are available for elements of the SpaceCube: the Radhard Monitor, Mini Evaluation Board, FMC+ Mezzanine Test Card, Mini ASTM Board, Automated Test Suite, and FMC+ ASTM Card.
The core Flight System (cFS)
The core Flight System (cFS) is GSFC's platform and project-independent reusable software framework and set of reusable software applications. The cFS has comprehensive flight heritage including flagship and CubeSat missions. It utilizes a layered architecture which promotes reusability without sacrificing efficiency, allowing missions to focus on mission specific code, thereby minimizing flight software development costs. The cFS is available as open-source software and has an active user community.
The NASA Operational Simulator for Small Satellites (NOS3)
NOS3 is a suite of open-source tools to simulate a mission using flight and ground software. This environment merges a dynamics simulator, flight software, ground software, NOS engine and hardware models to shorten development timelines. Flight and ground software can be developed and tested without the need of spacecraft or ground system hardware, enabling early development of software.
Miniature Release Mechanism or Diminutive Assembly for Nanosatellite Deployables (DANY)
NASA’s DANY technology uses spring-loaded metal pins, a reliable burnthrough mechanism, efficient bracketing, and a circuit board to reliably stow and release deployables on command. Using DANY, stowed deployables are securely fastened using the spring-loaded locking pins.
Cubesat Form Factor Thermal Control Louvers
The thermal control louvers use passive thermal control to significantly improve the internal thermal stability of small spacecraft, creating a difference of several watts in dissipated heat between open and closed louvers. The modular design can be produced in large quantities and swapped into various sized plates to tailor the thermal control to each spacecraft's needs.
Modular Architecture for Resilient Extensible SmallSats (MARES)
The Modular Architecture for a Resilient Extensible SmallSat (MARES) is a capabilities-driven design and architecture with an emphasis on reliability, scalability, and high-performance processing. The architecture defines components, functions, and requirements to meet most of the GSFC science SmallSat needs. As a modular architecture, the users can select all or part of the full architecture to meet their mission needs. Applicability includes but it is not limited to SmallSat buses, CubeSat buses, and high-performance instrument processors.
MARES Command and Data Handling
The MARES command and data handling (C&DH) cards utilize an RTG4 with an embedded LEON-3FT processor which combines to make the board highly reliable in a radiation environment and flexible enough to be programmed for custom applications. The LEON3 runs cFS on an RTEMS operating system, enabling a standardize FSW development flow. In addition, it features a footprint to populate a COTS GPS, a magnetometer and a COTS dosimeter as well as interfaces for coarse sun sensors, an IMU, torquers, and fine sun sensors.
NavCube 3.0 Mini GPS
NavCube technology is based on the GSFC GPS Navigator development used on the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission, currently holding the record for the highest altitude fix of a GPS signal. The shrunk-down technology utilizes the SpaceCube 3.0 Mini digital processing capabilities to minimize the hardware size and mass. Additional hardware includes low-noise amplifier, antenna and oscillator or atomic clock. The use of this additional hardware will depend on the GPS solution accuracy and orbit for a specific mission.
Solid-State Data Recorder
The Solid-State Data Recorder is a high-speed and high-capacity data storage solution. With over 10 Terabits, the card can be used in applications such as high-speed communications, high-speed science data capture and on-board processing of large datasets for autonomous navigation, autonomous operations, artificial intelligence tasks and machine learning.
Deployable Boom for Cubesats
The deployable boom for CubeSats is a rigid boom over 50 centimeters in length when deployed that houses a three-axis magnetometer. It is stowed on one side of the CubeSat with a double hinge system.
Ultra Compact Star Scanner
This innovative approach fuses the rapid advancements in miniaturized high-speed electronics with the ultra-compact freeform optical design from NASA efforts to create the next generation of stellar scanner instruments.
Ion Control System
The electric propulsion system is suitable for small satellite attitude control, precision orbit control, constellation formation management, and extended low-thrust maneuvers.
Self-Regulating Current Circuit
This technology utilizes a switching regulator to provide high-efficiency power conversion. The Self-Regulating Current Circuit simplifies the deployment of a circuit as circuit resistance associated with wire and interfaces are negated due to the self-regulating circuit. The entire circuit can be miniaturized and can still provide relatively high constant current needed for nickel chrome based deployment devices.
Featured Capabilities
Environmental Testing at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Learn how the Goddard Environmental Test, Engineering, and Integration Branch provides environmental test support for SmallSat missions.
NASA Goddard SmallSat Partners
Learn about the various organizations which are partnered with the Goddard SmallSat Office.
Wallops Flight Facility Environmental Integration, Test, and Fabrication
Learn about the tracking capabilities of the UHF Ground Station located at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.
Wallops Flight Facility UHF Ground Station
Learn about the tracking capabilities of the UHF Ground Station located at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.