Aurora (Shasta, Astro Digital Demo 9)

Astro Digital Demo 9 (Shasta) [Astro Digital]

Aurora or Astro Digital Demo 9 or Shasta is a technology demonstration of a hyperspectral imaging payload for Orbital Sidekick's (OSK) GHOSt satellites.

The spacecraft bus is the Corvus-Micro design. The satellite bus uses reaction wheels, magnetic torque coils/rods, star tracker(s), magnetometers, sun sensors, and gyroscopes to enable precision 3-axis pointing without the use of propellant.

The Demo9 satellite is based on the standard Corvus-Micro bus and has a total mass of ~22.5 kg. The main spacecraft body has dimensions of ~34 cm × ~34 cm × ~49 cm. The satellite has multiple body-mounted solar panels (no deployable). The superstructure is comprised of 6 aluminum iso-grid outer panels. All the internal components are attached to the inner faces of these 6 structural panels. There is a Planetary Systems Lightband on the +X face of the spacecraft that is used to deploy the spacecraft from the launch vehicle. Two independent UHF TT&C antennas protrude from opposite sides of the spacecraft body.

The hyperspectral imaging payload was designed to match NASA's Hyperion instrument on the EO 1 satellite with a spatial resolution of 30 meters for all bands.