The United States Naval Academy Small Satellite Program

The United States Naval Academy Small Satellite Program

Visiting Professor Billy R. Smith, Jr., Director

410-293-6410

The USNA Small Satellite Program (SSP) actively pursues flight opportunities for miniature satellites designed, constructed, tested, and commanded or controlled by Midshipmen. The SSP provides funds for component purchase and construction, travel in support of testing and integration, coordination with Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) laboratories, or with universities for collaborative projects, and guides the Midshipmen through the DoD Space Experiments Review Board (SERB) flight selection process.

The satellite development process is a multi-semester effort requiring the contributions of Midshipmen from several consecutive graduating classes. First Class Midshipmen in EA470, Spacecraft Design, initiate the process with identification of the mission and determination of requirements, followed by development of the conceptual design. Students in subsequent classes take the satellite through feasibility study, final design, construction, testing, and launch platform integration. Each spring, students in the design course begin the process with new satellite concepts so that projects are always germinating to take the place of those that are coming to completion and awaiting launch.

The SSP also pursues collaborative projects with DoD agencies (USNA-2: PCSat2 and USNA-3: ANDE), other academic institutions (USNA-0: SAPPHIRE) and NASA, where primary responsibility for production of the spacecraft and success of the project remains with the parent institution, but midshipmen contributions in a secondary role are welcome and significant.

Completed Projects

USNA-0: SAPPHIRE USNA-1: PCSat-1 USNA-2: PCSat-2 USNA-3: ANDE USNA-4: RAFT USNA-5: MidSTAR-1

Future Projects

USNA-6: SCIENCE USNA-7: PSat USNA-8: MidSTAR-2 USNA-9: WeberSat-LARES