The AFRL/STP Nanosat-2 Mission on Delta IV Heavy: A Demonstration of Current Responsive Space Capabilities

In mid CY2003, the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center commander (SMC/CC) tasked the Department of Defense Space Test Program (STP) with finding a payload that could be manifested on the Air Force Delta IV Heavy Launch Vehicle Demonstration (HLVD), which was originally scheduled for a May 2004 Initial Launch Capability (ILC). In late CY2003, the decision was made to pursue the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Nanosat-2/Three Corner Sat (NS2/3CS) satellite constellation. In January 2004, SMC/CC provided the direction to proceed with the Nanosat-2 integration effort. Fortunately, the new HLVD ILC had moved to 3 July 2004. This situation created the ultimate exercise in “responsive space”: notice-to-proceed to space vehicle delivery for integration in less than three months. A subsequent launch delay to September 2004 approximately halfway through the effort did not significantly relieve the schedule pressure, due to increased requirements being levied on the payload. Originally designed for deployment from the Space Shuttle (STS), the NS2/3CS payload consisted of the three university-built satellites comprising the 3CS constellation, and an AFRL-developed Multi-Satellite Deployment System (MSDS) incorporating novel low-shock separation systems developed under contract to AFRL by Planetary Systems Corp. (PSC) and Starsys Research Corp. (SRC). With the transition to Delta IV, new launch vehicle environments and requirements forced a radical and rapid reconfiguration of the Nanosat-2 mission from the ground up.