The New Millennium Program Space Technology 5 (ST5)

摘要

In August 1999, NASA selected Nanosat Constellation Trailblazer (NCI) as the New Millennium Program's ST5 project. NCT will validate technologies needed for future NASA science missions, particularly enabling the constellation class missions envisioned for the Sun-Earth Connection (SEC) science theme. Three 20-kg class spacecraft will be developed and operated for a total project cost of $29M. These spacecraft will demonstrate eight component technologies and interact with each other to create an instrument greater than the sum of its parts. This paper will describe the NCT project and technologies, and assess ST5's impact on future NASA science missions.