Surrey Satellite US, Aerojet Rocketdyne, NanoRacks Develop FeatherCraft Satellite Line

The International Space Station (ISS). Photo: NASA

[Via Satellite 04-09-2015] Surrey Satellite Technology US (SST-US) announced its collaboration with Aerojet Rocketdyne and NanoRacks on the development of the FeatherCraft platform, a satellite platform optimized for deployment from the International Space Station (ISS). The 100-kilogram, SST-US-designed platform is intended to exploit the full capabilities of ISS cargo resupply vessels and the NanoRacks Kaber deployment system aboard the ISS.

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s electronic propulsion system permits handling of FeatherCraft inside the ISS, meaning astronauts can position it on the Kaber deployer for deployment into orbit. With a mission lifetime of five years, FeatherCraft will provide a low-risk, cost-effective satellite platform that can accommodate payloads with requirements of up to 45 kilograms and 50 watts. SST-US will manufacture, integrate, and test FeatherCraft at its Englewood, Colo. facility.

FeatherCraft
in-flight configuration. Photo: SST-US

“The Kaber launch service was a clear next step for NanoRacks to meet our company’s constantly growing customer needs and desires to deploy larger satellites from the International Space Station,” said Jeff Manber, chief executive officer of NanoRacks. “Kaber continues to promote ISS utilization, and the FeatherCraft platform expands the capability of payloads that can be deployed from ISS — furthering the ISS’s dual role as a commercial nexus.”