MEPSI

MEPSI 1A & Picosat launcher assembly (PLA) & MEPSI 1B [USAF]

The third in the MEPSI series (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems-based PicoSat Inspector) is a pair of tethered picosatellites, based on the CubeSat design, launched by a custom deployer aboard the STS-113 Endeavour mission on the 2nd December 2002. The spacecraft were manufactured for DARPA by the Aerospace corporation in collaboration with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The two spacecraft are cubic in shape, weight 1kg each, and are connected via a 15.2m tether in order to facilitate detection and tracking via ground-based radar. The spacecraft carry a cold gas propulsion system, with 0.1N thrust with 5 thrusters. This propulsion system includes MEMS pressure transducers and was supplied by Vacco Industries under a US$152k contract. The spacecraft series has the aim of developing autonomous small sub-spacecraft that can be carried for remote inspection and servicing. Previous missions were flown in February 2000 and September 2001.