DiskSat Demo Mission: New Paradigm in Small Satellite Architectures

The DiskSat is a quasi-two-dimensional satellite bus architecture designed for applications requiring high power, large apertures, and/or high maneuverability in a low-mass containerized satellite. The DiskSat structure is a composite flat structure, one meter in diameter, 2–3 cm thick, with a mass of 2–3 kg. Spacecraft avionics, sensors, actuators, and payloads are either installed into cutouts in the composite structure or mounted to the surface. These additions increase the effective thickness in some areas and add mass to the overall spacecraft. The surface area of the DiskSat is large enough to host 200 W of solar cells without deployable solar panels. For launch, multiple DiskSats are stacked in a dispenser and are released individually in orbit. The combination of the lightweight composite structure and large surface area for solar cells allows for power to weight ratios significantly exceeding traditional satellite designs. When flying edge-on to the velocity direction, the small cross-sectional area helps to reduce atmospheric drag. When coupled with an electric propulsion thruster, the spacecraft can maintain orbit at lower altitudes than traditional spacecraft. The demonstration mission intends to explore this Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) regime experimentally to characterize performance. A demonstration mission of the DiskSat platform is under development with flight ready units expected to complete in Spring 2025. The mission will include 4 DiskSats and a newly developed dispenser. The mission will demonstrate and characterize the performance and utility of the platform, power management, the potential for maneuverability in different orientations and orbital regimes, and multi-satellite deployment from the dispenser. The dispenser is a containerized system that incorporates consideration for rideshare Do No Harm and protection from debris during launch. Launch is tentatively scheduled for Spring 2026. This paper will provide an overview on the status of the DiskSat demo mission development with details on the bus and dispenser followed by a discussion of potentially new mission applications enabled by the Disksat platform. Mission concepts could include Earth-orbit, and beyond GEO space applications. Engagement with the larger small satellite community to discuss mission applications and opportunities are underway. The results from the demo mission will feed into a tech transfer program for industry and others to easily use the platform and develop a manufacturing base.