NASA Opens High Frontier to Education and Not-for-Profit Groups

NASA is announcing a new initiative to launch small cube-shaped satellites for education and not-for-profit organizations. CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called picosatellites. They have a size of approximately 10 centimeters and weigh no more than a kilogram.

This is NASA’s first open announcement to create an agency-prioritized list of available CubeSats. They are planned as auxiliary payloads on launch vehicles already scheduled for 2011 and 2012.
“We’re anticipating some exciting proposals for this pilot program with hopes to break down the barriers to the launching of CubeSats,” said Jason Crusan, chief technologist for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate in Washington. “There are organizations that have been waiting a long time for a chance to see their satellites fly in space.”

Proposed CubeSat payloads must be the result of development efforts conducted under existing NASA-supported activities. Investigations proposed for this pilot project must address an aspect of science, exploration, technology development, education or operations encompassed by NASA’s strategic goals and outcomes as identified in the NASA Strategic Plan and/or NASA’s Education Strategic Coordination Framework.

Collaborators will be required to provide partial reimbursement of approximately $30,000 per CubeSat. NASA will not provide funding to support CubeSat activity or development. Selection does not guarantee an availability of a launch opportunity.
Proposals must be submitted electronically and be rec
eived by 4:30 p.m. EDT, April 15, 2010. NASA personnel will evaluate submissions. Selection is anticipated by June 30, 2010.
For additional information and a complete list of requirements, visit http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/somd/home/CubeSats_initiative.html.