Engineered Plastic Designs, Inc., supported by CSA Engineering, Inc. proposes to develop clean-room containerization concepts for minimizing exposure of both the secondary spacecraft and the full-up payload module to damaging shock, vibration, and temperature extremes resulting during ground transportation, while providing an efficient, safe means for integrating each secondary spacecraft with the adapter. Currently, spacecraft are packed into crates for shipping. These crates do not provide adequate protection from shock and vibration, nor are they reusable. Further, these containers do not provision for handling during the integration process. An innovative new approach, EPD's container design will incorporate a multifunctional support frame that, when used in conjunction with the external container shell will provide exceptional support and isolation to the spacecraft. Every spacecraft will have different mass and moment of inertia properties. The new container design will provide a platform that mitigates the shock and vibration exposure over a broad range of spacecraft size and weights. The resultant container system design will be economically manufactured to meet the future needs of the satellite launch community.The primary commercial application for this SBIR project will be to produce and sell a modular container system for ESPA. The potential market for handling and transportation of multi-functional spacecraft containers, with or without secondary payloads, is significant in terms of reduced cost, convenience and safety for spacecraft manufacturers and users. The benefits of such modular payload containers would apply to both civilian and military satellite launches, since they are launched from the same vehicles. Both are subject to the same high cost of failure, and therefore to the same requirements for high standards of safety and reliability
