PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Brynmor Davis
bjd@creare.com
16 Great Hollow Road
Hanover, NH 03755 - 3116
(603) 643-3800 Extension :2351

CORPORATE/BUSINESS OFFICIAL (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Robert Kline-Schoder
contractsmgr@creare.com
16 Great Hollow Road
Hanover, NH 03755 - 3116
(603) 643-3800 Extension :2487

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 5
End: 6

Technology Available (TAV) Subtopics
Coordination and Control of Swarms of Space Vehicles is a Technology Available (TAV) subtopic that includes NASA Intellectual Property (IP). Do you plan to use the NASA IP under the award?
No

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
The overall goal of this project is to design, develop, and demonstrate using a flight test, a miniature, high accuracy attitude determination system (ADS) for use on small satellites. Currently available ADS are too large and heavy, or, units for small satellites do not have sensors with sufficient accuracy for important applications such as formation flying or laser-based communication systems. We will overcome these limits by combining two technologies that Creare has previously demonstrated: a 1/2U-sized, high accuracy star tracker; and MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU). The star tracker relies on unique optics technology that allows the implementation of telescope-quality optics in approximately 1/2U CubeSat and the MEMS IMU has near laser gyro accuracy in a package that is significantly smaller and less expensive than traditional IMUs. During the Phase I feasibility demonstration, we will clearly illustrate the advantages of our approach. Creare and our academic partner, University of Hawaii Spaceflight Laboratory (HSFL), are well qualified to succeed in this effort given our considerable and unique past experience in miniaturizing devices for use in important space missions, our firm's longevity, the space-qualified fabrication facilities that we maintain, and HSFL's unique ground and space testing environments. The proposed program provides an opportunity to accelerate the demonstration of new technology that will greatly enhance the capabilities of small satellites in a spaceflight mission during the Phase II project and within the Phase II budget.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
NASA is interested in reducing the mass and cost while maximizing the scientific return for future NASA missions. Small satellites are an excellent alternative for achieving these goals. However, many technologies that have been developed for larger spacecraft are not applicable to small- and nano-satellites. To bridge this gap, NASA plans to support innovations in propulsion, power, guidance, and navigation systems for low-cost small spacecraft. One of the key enabling technologies is an accurate attitude determination system. Our high accuracy attitude determination system promises to meet the needs of small- and nano-satellites for high accuracy attitude control.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Past technical advances in small satellites have opened up new markets for small satellites beyond their initial technology demonstration platforms. These markets include military science and technology; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; remote site communications; polling of unattended sensors; high-resolution Earth observations; and Landsat-class environmental monitoring; and are estimated to potentially result in a $500 million annual market. Our high accuracy attitude determination system will enable higher performance and lower cost for many of these future applications.