NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 2019-022C
Aerocube 10 (AC10) are a pair of 1.5U Cubesats developed by the Aerospace Corporation of El Segundo to demonstrate several technologies.
The purpose of the mission is to demonstrate precision satellite-to-satellite pointing; deployment of atmospheric probes for in-situ measurement of air density; small-spacecraft proximity operations using propulsion from a steam thruster (no docking is planned); and solar cell performance degradation experiment that will correlate data from radiation sensors tuned to the energy levels suspected of causing damage to a drop in solar cell power output.
The AeroCube-10B spacecraft replaces the payload volume area used for the dispenser on the 10A satellite with three different payloads. One is a steam propulsion unit identical to the one in AeroCubes-7b and 7c. It will dispense water vapor to create a 4 mN thrust to change the range between the two satellites. It holds up to 30 grams of water and can affect, best case a 10 meter per second delta velocity. Water is non-toxic and the pressure inside the steam propulsion unit is at atmospheric pressure, so it is not a pressure vessel. The other is an electron and proton spectrometer called the micro-Charged Particle Telescope (µCPT). It will measure radiation flux impinging on the satellite, in specific energy levels that are suspected to cause solar cell degradation. The third payload is a sensor that will confirm when the optical beacon is impinging on the satellite. It is a light sensor, tuned to the optical beacon and amplified because the intensity is predicted to be faint.
Launch Date: 2019-04-17
Launch Vehicle: Antares
Launch Site: Wallops Island, United States
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office