| Mission type | Technology demonstration |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Mission duration | 90 days (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | PTD-1 → PTD-5 |
| Spacecraft type | 6U CubeSat |
| Bus | Tyvak |
| Manufacturer | Ames Research Center and Glenn Research Center |
| Launch mass | 11 kg (24 lb) [1] |
| Dimensions | 30 × 20 × 10 cm |
| Power | 65 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 24 January 2021 (PTD-1) [2] |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Launch site | CCAFS, |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Altitude | Sun-synchronous orbit |
NASA's Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (PTD) Project is a series of tech demonstrations of technologies aboard a series of nanosatellites known as CubeSats, providing significant enhancements to the performance of these versatile spacecraft. Each of the five planned PTD missions consist of a 6-unit (6U) CubeSat with expandable solar arrays.[3]
Flight qualification and demonstration of these technologies carried aboard the PTD missions are expected to benefit future government and commercial missions. These include propulsion systems and sub-systems that stabilize and point the spacecraft to high accuracy in order to use a laser communications system capable of high-speed broadband.
The first mission, PTD-1, was scheduled for launch in December 2020 on a Falcon 9 rocket, from Cape Canaveral, as part of the ride-share ELaNa mission 35,[4] launched on January 24th, 2021, and demonstrated HYDROS-C water-based propellant system. PTD-3 launched on May 25 2022 on the SpaceX Transporter-5 rideshare and demonstrated the TBIRD infrared communication system.[5]
- ^ "Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator: Demonstrating Novel CubeSat Technologies in Low Earth Orbit" (PDF). nasa.gov. NASA. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (PTD) - NASA". Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
upcoming launcheswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (PTD) - NASA". Retrieved 19 February 2024.
