Orbital Surveillance Maneuverability Vehicle (OSMV) Version 2

The mission of the Orbital Surveillance Maneuverability Vehicle Version 2 (OSMV-2) is to validate the on-orbit performance of a Diverging Cusped-Field Thruster (DCFT) through various Air Force relevant SSA, ORS, and ISR mission scenarios.

The mission scenarios we hope to be able to demonstrate are:

  • Space Situational Awareness (SSA):
    • Patrolling orbital rings
    • Beyond the horizon operations
    • Calibrating tracking systems
    • Plume measurements for ground- and space-based sensors
  • Operationally Responsive Space (ORS):
    • On-orbit adaptability to meet warfighter need
    • Reconfigurable orbits
    • Space environment characterization
  • Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR):
    • Low-perigee imaging
    • Drag compensation

Students will begin focusing on OSMV-2 during the summer of 2009. Seven students will be working as paid UROPs to further the design over the summer, with several more working as volunteers, and then the rest of the team will pick up again in the fall.

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