Micro & Nanosatellite Launch Capabilities from the Star Bus GEO Commercial Communications Platform

A concept for the deployment of nanosatellites and microsatellites from privately-owned commercial communications satellites will be described in this paper. The Orbital Sciences Corporation Starbus is a platform that is representative of small-sized GEO communications satellites. Modifications to the Starbus can be made to allow a microsatellite to be attached to, and deployed from the nadir deck of host the Star spacecraft. Furthermore other modifications can be made to allow for the mounting and deployment of nanosatellites using the Cubesat form factor. Unique technical and programmatic challenges present themselves in this launch concept of using a GEO spacecraft as the launch platform that are not seen using more traditional rocket launch vehicles. Some of the more unique technical challenges are the impacts to the primary communications payload, effects on primary mission orbitraising from GTO to GEO, and overall fuel lifetime impacts to the host spacecraft. Some of the programmatic challenges are the integration of schedules from different organizations with different goals and constraints, and the impacts to insurability of the host spacecraft. These Starbus modifications provide for a standardized interface in accommodating micro and nanosatellite launches known as Commercial Rideshare. Commercial Rideshare is a concept for a novel service offered by Orbital and its industry partners in the GEO commercial communications industry to provide a low cost method of space-access that will also provide the high frequency of launch opportunities and the on-time schedule assurance that is typical of commercial communications missions.