Development Status of a Nanosat Launch Vehicle

Even though technology advancements are enabling continued evolution of nanosatellites (defined herein as spacecraft with masses less than or equal to ten kilograms), there has not been a corresponding effort to establish launch services tailored specifically to this market. This paper provides a status report on a cooperative university-industry initiative that is beginning to address this need for cost-effective, operationally responsive launch services dedicated to very small payloads through the development of a Nanosat Launch Vehicle (NLV). This work may also aid other launch programs through its emphasis on early flightbased test and evaluation of promising technologies that include alternative hydrocarbon fuels, advanced structures and innovative applications of newly-emerging data networking services.