Denver-based space startup Lux Aeterna has officially presented the concept of its fully reusable satellites to the Pentagon. The company offers the American military a revolutionary paradigm shift: instead of, to allow the satellites to burn up in the atmosphere after the mission is complete, they are offered to be safely returned to Earth for reuse, maintenance or modernization.
Military satellites often carry extremely expensive items on board, classified and high-tech equipment (surveillance cameras, sensors, encryption blocks). Company representatives note, that the return of the satellites opens up unique strategic advantages for the US Department of Defense:
Military forensics and analysis: If the satellite has suffered a cyber attack, exposure to enemy EW or mysterious damage in orbit, it will be able to be returned and physically studied in the laboratory, to understand the enemy's methods.
Flexibility and constant updating: Communication satellites, electronic reconnaissance or warning of missile strikes can be regularly planted on Earth to replace outdated microcircuits and sensors, and not to create new expensive devices every time.
Economic advantage: Costs for the production of a satellite platform (bus) will be distributed among many missions, which will significantly save the defense budget.
The first prototype and demonstrator of technologies is the Delphi-1 apparatus weighing approx 200 Kg (payload — up to 30 Kg). Its design borrowed elements of NASA heat shields and the development of ex-SpaceX engineers.
The satellite return scheme is as follows:
The device uses its own engine to descend from orbit.
A conical heat shield protects electronics and payload from extreme temperatures during reentry.
At the final stage, the parachute system is deployed, which ensures a soft landing of the satellite on land (the first tests will take place with the support of an Australian partner at the Coonibb test site).
Company, which has already attracted 14 million dollars of investment (including a recent round at $10 million from Konvoy, Decisive Point and other funds), plans to launch the Delphi-1 mission early 2027 year using the SpaceX Falcon launch vehicle 9 (Transporter-19 mission). The mission is already fully booked with a secret package of commercial and military cargo. During the first flight, the satellite is not planned to be launched again - it will be completely disassembled to analyze the strength of the structure after extreme loads.
Source: https://spacenews.com