US-based Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems has been selected to provide a set of small spacecraft for Nasa’s Pathfinder Technology Demonstrator (PTD) missions.

Under the deal, Tyvak will build a 25lb six-unit (6U) CubeSat.

The contract also includes an option to build up to four additional small spacecraft for the PTD missions.

“The increasing capabilities and resulting significant expansion in applications of small spacecraft represent a paradigm shift for Nasa and the larger space community."

Equipped with solar arrays and a technology payload, the new CubeSats will provide a series of flight demonstrations and enable Nasa to reduce its future mission costs and technical risks.

The solar arrays are expected to provide an average of 45W while in-orbit, and allocate nearly one-third of its volume for the technology payload.

The new space technologies are also expected to boost the development of commercial space capabilities and various future Nasa missions, such as new propulsion systems, advanced control systems for precision pointing, and communications systems for increased data transmissions.

Nasa Space Technology Mission Directorate associate administrator Steve Jurczyk said: “The increasing capabilities and resulting significant expansion in applications of small spacecraft represent a paradigm shift for Nasa and the larger space community."

The agency also noted that new CubeSats will be used to demonstrate and characterise new small satellite payloads in low-Earth orbit.

Nasa is also planning to conduct a series of demonstrations, whereby the newly developed technologies will be integrated into similarly designed 6U CubeSats procured from Tyvak.

Image: Tyvak's six-unit (6U) pathfinder technology demonstrator CubeSat design. Photo: courtesy of Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems.