Aerospace Corporation's DiskSat concept focuses on a disk-shaped small satellite bus, designed to provide better power generation and increased payload space, than a traditional CubeSat, while maintaining a standardized container launch interface. A typical DiskSat demonstration device has a diameter of approx 1 meter and a thickness of approx 2,5 centimeters. A similar useful volume is provided by a 20U CubeSat, at the same time, the structural mass of this platform is less 3 kilograms.
NASA's Small Spacecraft and Distributed Systems Program is funding the development and launch of a four-satellite DiskSat technology demonstration to test the new form factor and its launch dispenser. For launch, several DiskSats will be placed in a completely closed container, which will serve as a secondary payload, and then deploy the spacecraft one by one, having entered the target orbit. This approach is aimed at supporting future constellations with
20 or more DiskSats per mission.
A big one, the surface area of DiskSat allows installing solar cells with a capacity of more than 200 W without deploying arrays, that supports missions, which require high power and large antennas or other devices. The flat design also makes it easier to access internal components during integration and testing, while accommodating standard CubeSat-class subsystems within the disk volume.
A key feature of the design is the ability to fly with one side, constantly directed towards the Earth, with low resistance, which, combined with an electric motor, allows operation in a very low Earth orbit below approx 300 kilometers. This configuration is designed to compensate for atmospheric resistance, extending the life of low-altitude missions and supporting such applications, as high-resolution Earth observation, low latency communications and space situational awareness, while reducing long-term waste, as satellites in these orbits naturally de-orbit faster.
The DiskSat program positions the platform as a ride-sharing compatible option for missions, which require a high power-to-weight ratio, flexible guidance and rapid deployment of constellations, and is being developed with the aim of wider implementation by the government, by commercial and academic users after the first demonstration flight, supported by NASA.
Source: https://www.spacedaily.com