6U LV-POD EQM

The increasing interest for Deep-Space cubesat is leading in the near future to the need of adequate deployment systems ("Cubesat Dispensers") suitable for deep space applications, taking into account all the environmental (e.g. radiation) and mission constraints (e.g. need for power supply to the cubesat, possibility to upload SW updates, need for accurate release conditions).The first potential use case has been identified in the Hera Planetary Defense mission, that intends to deploy two 6U cubesats around the Didymos asteroid binary system. Each of those CubeSats will be containerised in a standard deployment system. In addition, a set of requirements will be injected by ESA in the activity to ensure compatibility with the first use case.The objective of the activity is to design, manufacture and test and Engineering Qualification Model for a 6U Dispenser suitable for deep space missions compatible with the Hera mission

Maximising the heritage of the existing ISIS ISIPOD cubesat deployers family, and building on past studies performed within ESA GSP such as LV-POD, (Low-Velocity deployer),the main task of this TFO activity will be to :-Design a Low-Velocity 6U deployer suitable for deep space missions, compatible with the low separation velocity (order cm/s) and rotation error needed for deep space mission such as Hera, taking into account a series of requirements injected by the agency -Define interfaces w.r.t. the Hera spacecraft, coordinating with the Hera spacecraft prime -Manufacture assemble and integrate a qualification model (EQM) -Perform a representative environmental test campaign (TVAC, Shock, Vibrations) -Verify the effective performances achieved in terms of deployment velocity and angular rate -Prepare a Technological Development Roadmap (including estimate for qualification work for the first use case) for the 6U deep space Low Velocity dispenser, with Hera as baseline first use case