NASA’s Latest CubeSat Launches to Earth’s Thermosphere

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 11:09 a.m. PST, Tuesday, Jan. 14, carrying the NASA-developed CubeSat, Technology Education Satellite 22 (TES-22). Photo credit: SpaceX

A NASA-developed CubeSat, Technology Education Satellite 22 (TES-22), launched at 11:09 a.m. PST on Tuesday, Jan. 14, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The small satellite will test a variety of technology, including a deployable drag sail to help deorbit the spacecraft, and provide valuable information about a region Earth's atmosphere.

Weighing under four pounds, the 1U, or unit, CubeSat contains three primary payloads: the Exo-Brake, which is the deployable dragsail; a radiation detector; and a solid-state battery evaluation experiment. Other payloads include a technology demonstration of a low-cost electrical power system, a flexible operating system for nanosats called TES-OS, and an orbital art installation.

The Exo-Brake will create drag by interacting with the thermosphere, a region of Earth's atmosphere about 50 and 440 miles (80 and 700 kilometers) above the surface, causing the spacecraft's altitude to decay rapidly. The Exo-Brake will cause the CubeSat to deorbit in months instead of years, reducing space debris and providing a unique opportunity to observe the thermosphere as the satellite quickly descends. Additionally, by measuring the radiation, TES-22 could provide insight into the influence of solar activity on the thermosphere, ultimately improving predictions for satellite drag and communications interruptions.

NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative provides opportunities for CubeSats built by U.S. educational institutions, and non-profit organizations, including informal educational institutions such as museums and science centers to fly on upcoming launches. Through innovative technology partnerships NASA provides these CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space, thus enabling students, teachers, and faculty to obtain hands-on flight hardware design, development, and build experience.

Follow NASA's Small Satellite blog for launch updates.

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