LunarCube: A Deep Space 6U CubeSat with Mission Enabling Ion Propulsion Technology

Busek, in partnership with Morehead State University (MSU), is developing a versatile 6U CubeSat platform nicknamed “LunarCube” that can undertake missions beyond LEO. The spacecraft can host a variety of science payloads, and its mission capability is highlighted by >3km/s of delta-V maneuverability with a groundbreaking ion propulsion system heretofore unavailable to CubeSats. Salient features of this propulsion system include innovative use of solid iodine propellant and a 60W class mini RF ion thruster that is capable of 1.3mN thrust and 3250sec specific impulse (Isp). The primary objective of the LunarCube program is to support a deep space CubeSat mission to the Moon from GEO or a translunar trajectory (such as the SLS/EM-1 drop-off) and carry out a lunar science campaign as a technology demonstration of the platform. A secondary objective is to showcase that much of the spacecraft’s miniaturized avionics and power system can survive the harsh radiation environment. The LunarCube concept, especially its ion propulsion element, has received significant attention from the CubeSat user community targeting near-term lunar flights. In fact, the platform has already morphed into an EM-1 CubeSat mission known as “Lunar IceCube”, selected for flight by NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) program.

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