Description
Adcole Maryland Aerospace’s next generation CubeSat design leverages both Kestrel Eye Block IIM (KE-IIM) and our ADACS heritage to provide a standardized and scalable platform to the greatest extent possible to maximize reuse of both hardware and software, increasing reliability while reducing cost and schedule. Our CubeSats feature separable payload volumes enabling parallel integration of the payload and avionics while providing known interfaces and EMI shielding. The avionics chassis incorporates integrated standard AMA ADACS module, slide-in circuit cards and a backplane, as well as optional propulsion modules (140 m/s) for constellation phasing, orbit maintenance, deorbit or formation flying.
AMA’s 12U spacecraft bus comes in two standard configurations defined by differing nominal flight geometries, solar array geometries, propulsive capabilities, and available payload volumes. Both are designed for launch and deployment from a Canisterized Satellite Dispenser (CSD) provided by Planetary Systems Corporation (PSC). The spacecraft design leverages experience from AMA’s highly successful Kestrel Eye Block IIM spacecraft that was deployed from the International Space Station in 2017 and AMA’s heritage line of ADACS hardware. The bus provides a dedicated payload volume, various pointing modes, and a significant delta-v capability in order to accommodate a wide variety of payloads and payload concepts of operation.