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Spaceflight Inc., the leading provider of satellite sharing and mission management services, has announced that it is developing two additional next-generation orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs) that will debut in 2021.
Its first, Sherpa-FX, will fly on a fully dedicated rideshare mission with SpaceX, dubbed SXRS-3 by Spaceflight, no earlier than December 2020. The next two ESPA-class spacecraft in the company’s portfolio are designed to provide a greater orbital diversification, including flexible manifest changes, deployment at multiple altitudes and orbital planes, and rapid launch solutions.
“When there are no launches that exactly meet our customers’ needs, Spaceflight will now be able to provide more options to achieve their mission goals,” said Grant Bonin, senior vice president of business development at Spaceflight Inc.
“Our goal is to deliver our customers’ spacecraft into orbit exactly when and where they want, to their final destination, the last leg of the journey. Our new OTV Sherpas allow us to provide that space delivery service, keeping costs low and lead times short. “
+ Sherpa-FX, the first innovative orbital transfer vehicle to debut, is capable of performing multiple deployments, providing independent and detailed deployment telemetry and flexible interfaces, all at a low cost.
This free flyer separates from a launch vehicle before deploying any satellite, with satellite separations initiated by the onboard avionics once away from the launch vehicle. It is quickly configurable and can switch from vehicle to vehicle and from mission to mission. Includes independent, near real-time worldwide telemetry via GlobalStar. It will carry 14 spacecraft, including hosted payloads, on the upcoming SXRS-3 mission.
+ Sherpa-LTC is equipped with a high-thrust bi-propellant ecological propulsion subsystem perfectly integrated into the available space of the original flyer. By including this new propulsion technology from Benchmark Space Systems, Sherpa-LTC provides fast, low-cost orbital transfer for many sizes of small spacecraft.
It is compatible with all launch vehicles that Spaceflight currently works with and allows you to quickly reach higher orbits through SpaceX Starlink missions and similar flights. The release is scheduled for the second half of 2021.
+ Sherpa-LTE is a high specific impulse Xenon propellant (Isp), OTV electric propulsion. It is based on the Sherpa program by incorporating Apollo Constellation Engine (ACE), a low thrust, high efficiency, radiation resistant Hall propulsion system developed by Apollo Fusion, Inc. Because ACE systems are capable of generating over 6km / s of delta-V, Sherpa-LTE now has the capability to provide customers with GEO, Cislunar or Earth escape orbits.
The Sherpa-LTE provides a low-cost alternative to purchasing direct injection launch vehicles and will extend the ability of the small launch vehicles currently under development to reach beyond low earth orbit. The Sherpa-LTE is expected to fly in mid-2021.
“We have a successful track record of developing and deploying spacecraft from space vehicles,” added Curt Blake, president and CEO of Spaceflight.
“Our first free orbital aircraft were on the historic SSO-A mission, which successfully delivered 64 unique spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 into orbit. We are excited to leverage our 10 years of learning launch experience to develop these new ones. advanced vehicles that will provide even more flexible launch options and customized orbital delivery for our customers. “
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