New capabilities for Earth Science measurements with 6U CubeSat technologies

NASA's Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) is responsible for the development of advanced technologies to address future Earth science measurement needs. In recent years, ESTO has flown various 1U - 3U CubeSats as a means to prove the applicability of information system and instrument subsystems in support for Earth science Decadal Survey mission concepts. In 2015 as part of the In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST-15) solicitation ESTO awarded four new 6U CubeSat projects. While these projects are maturing specific new technologies, their capability and scope also have the potential to serve as platforms for stand-alone science observations. We describe the goals of the InVEST program and introduce the new technologies and science potential of the InVEST-15 selections.