The National Reconnaissance Office has launched the Otter research and development demonstrator nanosatellite, which will help advance capabilities that will enable operations in an increasingly complex space environment.
New Zealand Defence Force Payload
Otter, a 6U CubeSat, will carry one primary payload and a pair of secondary payloads, NRO said Friday. The primary payload, dubbed Tui, will work to characterize and validate the performance of space-based communication networks. Tui belongs to the New Zealand Defence Force and was built by NZDF Defence Science & Technology.
NRO Payload
The secondary payloads are meant to help with the development and evaluation of communication technologies as well as future CubeSat operation concepts. The secondary payloads are built by the Naval Postgraduate School, or NPS.
Advancing Capabilities in Space
Concerning Otter, Aaron Weiner, director of NRO’s Advanced Systems & Technology Directorate, said, “The NRO is always looking for innovative ways to advance our capabilities in space. This demonstrator showcases the value in rapidly space-qualifying low-cost, commercial off-the-shelf hardware.”
Launch Details
Otter was built and is operated by NPS on behalf of NRO. The demonstrator was launched on Jan. 14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base aboard the Transporter-12 mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
