Opportunities for Small Satellite Missions Beyond LEO with Rocket Lab's Photon Configurable Spacecraft Platform

Abstract:

Rocket Lab has established itself as the leading small satellite launch service provider with the Electron launch vehicle. Electron has resulted in frequent, cost-effective, and reliable access to low Earth orbit (LEO). However, with growing domestic and international interest in lunar and deep space missions from both the government and private sectors, small satellites are needed to operate beyond LEO as technology demonstrators, as pathfinders to retire risk, for communications and navigational support for crewed missions, and to deliver science. In anticipation of these needs, Rocket Lab is extending its range for small satellite missions beyond LEO with its Photon spacecraft platform.

Photon is a configurable small spacecraft designed to accommodate a variety of payloads and instruments without significant redesign. Photon evolves Electron’s Kick Stage by incorporating high power generation, high-accuracy attitude determination and control, and radiation-tolerant avionics to provide a bundled launch-plus-satellite offering. Photon enables small satellite missions beyond LEO with additional technologies for precision orbit determination system, deep space-capable communications and navigation, and high-performance space-storable propulsion capable of multiple restarts.

Photon is designed to operate as a dedicated payload flying on Electron without the programmatic complexity and schedule risk of launching as a secondary payload on a medium or heavy lift launch vehicle. However, Photon can also operate as a secondary payload flying as a rideshare, expanding the performance envelope to enable a broader range of missions.

This paper outlines the launch-specific challenges facing small satellite missions beyond LEO, describes Rocket Lab’s upcoming Photon CAPSTONE mission for NASA, and identifies a broader set of both dedicated and rideshare beyond LEO mission concepts to cislunar destinations, Earth-sun Lagrange points, near Earth objects, Mars, and Venus.