SBIR-STTR Award

The advent of small launch vehicles has enabled the launch of small satellites on-demand into optimized orbits at affordable costs, leading to a rapid expansion of the small/micro satellite market. However, these small launch vehicles are inherently limited to LEO and currently struggle to support NASA’s push for lunar exploration. ExoTerra’s Solar Electric Propulsion Upper Stage augments small launch vehicles to enable missions to GEO, Trans-Lunar Injection, Earth-Moon Lagrange Points, Lunar Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits, and Low Lunar Orbit. When launched from Virgin Orbit’s Launcher One, it uses 8 km/s of delta-V to transfer up to 150 kg to Low Lunar Orbit, enabling low-cost lunar exploration using small satellites and landers. During the Phase I effort, ExoTerra and its partners complete a PDR level design of the upper stage by drawing from our Courier SEP micro-satellite design. This prepares us to perform a prototype build in Phase II to raise the system to TRL 6. Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) The SEP Upper Stage enables NASA to use Small Launch Vehicles to perform several missions. This starts with supporting the Lunar Program by delivering small orbiters and landers to the Moon at low cost and high frequency. This enables systems like affordable Lunar GPS or telecom relay deployment, and CLPS landers to demonstrate technologies on the lunar surface. The system also enables small launch vehicles to deploy small, focused missions, such as those performed by SIMPLEx, throughout the inner solar system as needed. Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words) The SEP Upper Stage has several non-NASA uses. Foremost is the ability to deploy ESPA class satellites to GEO from a Small Launch Vehicle. This benefits both commercial and DoD users. It also supports commercial efforts to send commercial missions to the Moon.

The advent of small launch vehicles has enabled the launch of small satellites on-demand into optimized orbits at affordable costs, leading to a rapid expansion of the small/micro satellite market. However, these small launch vehicles are inherently limited to LEO and currently struggle to support NASA’s push for lunar exploration. ExoTerra’s Solar Electric Propulsion Upper Stage augments small launch vehicles to enable missions to GEO, Trans-Lunar Injection, Earth-Moon Lagrange Points, Lunar Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits, and Low Lunar Orbit. We have partnered with Virgin Orbit to develop an upper stage tailored to Virgin’s LauncherOne that can deliver up to 168 kg to the Moon, enabling low-cost lunar exploration using small satellites and landers. This will aid in NASA's push to establish a permanent outpost on the Moon by providing a steady cadence of microsatellite scale support missions to the Moon such as CLPS landers, observers, GPS and telecom relays. Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): The SEP Upper Stage has several NASA applications. The system can deliver scientific microsatellites to Low Lunar Orbit, NRHO or Halo orbits at the LaGrange points. It can also deliver small landers on a direct descent trajectory. Beyond the Moon, the Upper Stage can be tailored to deliver satellites to interplanetary trajectories from a GTO launch. Finally, the Upper Stage can be modified for use as a bus to take advantage of its advanced propulsion and power system. Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words): The SEP Upper Stage can be used to deliver satellites to MEO or GEO as well. This has applications for delivering commercial microsatellites to GEO. It can also be used to deliver defense satellites to GEO from a small launch vehicle as well. Duration: 18