Abstract:

Small spacecraft have gone from novelty to having significant functional capabilities over the last 5-10 years. There is a small revolution occurring in the space field: an increasing number of spacecraft capabilities can be achieved with small spacecraft due to the general miniaturization of technology. Although the classifications often vary, key characteristics of Small Spacecraft include:

1. Low cost (under $100M)
2. Rapid development time frames (<24 months ATP to launch)
3. Use of the latest technology
4. Use of next generation inexpensive launch vehicles
5. Use of off-the-shelf technologies wherever possible
6. Leveraging technologies from defense programs
7. Acceptance of higher risk missions

Presenter:

Dr. Butler Hine is currently the Project Manager for the NASA Small Spacecraft Project Office at NASA Ames Research Center.  Prior to this, he was the Deputy Program manager for the NASA Robotic Lunar Exploration Program, which was responsible for robotic lunar flight missions in preparation for later crewed lunar missions specified in the U.S. Exploration Vision.  He is the former Director of the Exploration Office at NASA Ames Research Center, and was the Program Manager for the Computing, Information, and Communications Technology Program.  Before rejoining NASA, Dr. Hine was President and CEO of a Silicon Valley software company which developed advanced visualization tools for managing large corporate networks.  His previous NASA experience includes directing the Intelligent Mechanisms Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, which pioneered the use of telepresence and virtual reality to control remote science exploration robotic systems.