Two CubeSats on commercial rideshare in SpaceX’s Transporter-11 were launched from Vandenburg Space Force Base, California, on Friday to continue NASA’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator mission series.
The series, the first mission of which was launched in January 2021, now focuses on CubeSats PTD-4 and PTD-R sent into low Earth orbit to test and demonstrate new technologies and small spacecraft capabilities, NASA said.
PTD-4 will demonstrate a new solar panel system, while PTDR-will conduct the first tests on ultraviolet and short-wave infrared optical sensing through advanced telescopes.
The contractors for the two CubeSats’ launch, sought through NASA’s Venture-class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare — or VADR — award, include L2 Solutions’ Space Systems division and Terran Orbital, which provided the spacecraft bus and avionics platform. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provided the optical payload for PTD-R.
SpaceX secured three task orders in the PTD mission series under the VADR contract vehicle, which helps cut launch costs and broaden space access.
The two CubeSats launched aboard the recent SpaceX flight are six-unit spacecraft, called Triumph, which is uniform for all PTD satellites.
