TARGIT

TARGIT before Target deployment [Georgia Tech]

TARGIT with Target attached [Georgia Tech]

TARGIT (Tethering And Ranging mission of the Georgia Institute of Technology ) is a 3U CubeSat technology demonstration mission to design and test Cubesat with a Miniaturized LiDAR imaging camera and a deployable inflatable that will serve as the lidar camera’s primary imaging target to demonstrate cm-level altimetry precision over tens of kilometers.

The applications for a compact laser altimetry system are numerous, and are particularly valuable for planetary missions involving the topographic mapping of planetary bodies such as moons and near-Earth asteroids.

The TARGIT and its target will be launched together in a 3U form factor. On orbit, the satellite deploys the target subsatellite, which unfolds a large optical target. TARGIT will then acquire the target and begins imaging, until the target drifts out of range.

Once TARGIT is launched into space, it will deploy a small inflatable on a tether and create a 3D image of the target using the miniaturized LiDAR imaging camera. Because the inflatable's size and reflectivity will already be well-known, this will give engineers a chance to test the camera’s accuracy. Eventually, the tether will be cut and the satellite will use its precise pointing and tracking capabilities to continue capturing images of the inflated target as it drifts farther and farther from the satellite. This final phase is intended to represent a flyby scenario in a traditional space mission, where the topography of a comet, asteroid, or specific surface location is the desired target.

It was selected in 2017 by NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) to be launched as part of the ELaNa program.

The satellite was launched onboard the Dragon CRS-24 cargo spacecraft to the ISS, where it will be deployed later.