OmniSat to cut lead times for space missions

Dubbed OmniSat architecture, SEA says it has conceived a complete nanosatellite “kit of parts” that can be reconfigured to build nanospacecraft that suit a range of Earth orbiting commercial and scientific activities.

Capabilities include global ship and aircraft tracking; storing and forwarding communications for remote areas; low cost space technology demonstrations; and  searching for potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids.

In a statement Dr Lucy Berthoud, OmniSat project manager at SEA said: ‘Faster, better and cheaper is hard to accomplish in the space industry, where long development times are the norm, because each new mission is designed from scratch.

‘The OmniSat architecture is designed to cut the time from concept to launch down to a year, which will enable a new wave of exciting missions to be developed.’

‘The capabilities of nanosatellites and their payloads have significantly increased due to the recent advances in miniaturization technologies,’ said Carlos Corral van Damme, ESA technical officer for the project. ‘The study has shown that the OmniSat concept is highly promising, especially for constellations and for missions requiring a quick turn-around time.’