NASA’s TES-22 CubeSat launched with tech that speeds up satellite deorbiting to clear space debris. It carries technology to study the thermosphere and test solar activity’s impact on satellite operations.
NASA’s Technology Education Satellite 22 (TES-22), a CubeSat weighing less than four pounds, launched on Tuesday, January 14, at 11:09 a.m. PST aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This small satellite is designed to test cutting-edge technologies and gather data on a region of Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Innovations and Payloads Aboard TES-22
TES-22 carries three main payloads: the Exo-Brake, a deployable drag sail designed to help deorbit the satellite; a radiation detector to measure solar and cosmic radiation levels; and an experiment to evaluate solid-state battery performance. Additional payloads include a demonstration of a low-cost electrical power system, a flexible nanosatellite operating system called TES-OS, and a unique orbital art installation.
Advancing Atmospheric Science and Space Safety
The Exo-Brake will create drag by interacting with the thermosphere, a region of Earth’s atmosphere about 50 and 440 miles (80 and 700 kilometers) above the surface, causing the spacecraft’s altitude to decay rapidly. The Exo-Brake will cause the CubeSat to deorbit in months instead of years, reducing space debris and providing a unique opportunity to observe the thermosphere as the satellite quickly descends. Additionally, by measuring the radiation, TES-22 could provide insight into the influence of solar activity on the thermosphere, ultimately improving predictions for satellite drag and communications interruptions.
Enabling Educational Opportunities in Space Exploration
NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative provides opportunities for CubeSats built by U.S. educational institutions, and non-profit organizations, including informal educational institutions such as museums and science centers to fly on upcoming launches. Through innovative technology partnerships, NASA provides these CubeSat developers a low-cost pathway to conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations in space, thus enabling students, teachers, and faculty to obtain hands-on flight hardware design, development, and build experience.
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