Overview of the Agile Microsat

MIT Lincoln Laboratory, in collaboration with Blue Canyon Technologies LLC and Enpulsion GmbH, is developing the Agile MicroSat (AMS) as the first nanosatellite with suitable agility to enable long-duration low altitude flight and maneuvering to actively focus ground coverage in times of need. Operating at lower altitudes provides higher resolution for a given optical sensing aperture. Spacecraft agility provides the opportunity for earth remote sensing techniques observing transient, unpredictable Earth scenes such as agricultural or ecological stress, fire smoke plumes, coastal and river flooding and oil spills. AMS will use an indium-fed field effect electric propulsion thruster with thrust vector control to implement its orbital maneuvers. AMS is implementing advanced satellite control techniques including vector control momentum management during thrusting, low-drag attitude control and critical fault response in low altitude/high drag conditions. AMS will validate increasingly sophisticated and demanding guidance techniques, progressing from manual ground control to automated on-board guidance as confidence is gained through on-orbit operation. Upon reaching low altitude, AMS will maneuver into repeating satellite ground track orbits on demand to operate two optical payloads. The AMS Camera payload will collect reflected sunlight imagery of local regions of interest cued by mission operations. The AMS Beacon payload provides a near infrared laser transmitter as an artificial phase reference to demonstrate ground based adaptive optics. Mission planning is ongoing leading to anticipated launch in Q4 2021 and minimum altitude of 280 km or lower.