UTIAS/SFL - Low-Cost Launch Program

Eurockot Launch Picture UTIAS/SFL provides a low-cost launch service for nanosatellites. This service was originally motivated by the needs of the Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment (CanX) program. The CanX program demonstrated a need for reliable, low-cost access to space for regular (18 to 24 month) launches of 1-5 kg spacecraft.

A principal feature of the approach taken by UTIAS/SFL is to mitigate the technical and financial risk shared by the spacecraft developers who are partners in a particular launch, while maintaining reasonable costs and ensuring timely delivery. UTIAS/SFL continues to collaborate with launch providers to address the needs of the nanosatellite community by reducing the real cost of coordination incurred by launch providers and spacecraft developers.

UTIAS/SFL arranged the launch of its first experimental nanosatellite, CanX-1, along with two Danish nanosatellites. The three nanosatellites were integrated into a CalPoly P-POD separation tube. The integrated system was dubbed "Nanosatellite Launch System 1" or NLS-1. UTIAS/SFL also arranged the launch of QuakeSat - an American satellite built for the purpose of early earthquake detection. The second launch system, NLS-2, consisted of QuakeSat and its own dedicated P-POD. Both NLS-1 and NLS-2 were successfully launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia on 30 June 2003, via a Rockot launch vehicle. NLS-3 was integrated as part of the ESA SSETI-Express spacecraft, which was launched on the Cosmos-3M in October 27, 2005. UTIAS/SFL has negotiated the launch of NLS-4 which will include nanosatellites from Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands.

AAU Cubesat, DTUsat, CanX-1
in the UTIAS/SFL Clean Room

Nanosatellite Launch System 1
Launch Date: June 30, 2003
Launch Vehicle: Rockot
Separation System: P-POD Launcher (USA)
Spacecraft Complement: AAU Cubesat (Denmark), DTUsat (Denmark), CanX-1 (Canada)
UTIAS/SFL played a leading role in arranging the launch and supporting the launch integration effort for three satellites during the Eurockot Multiple Orbit Mission campaign. The integrated launch tube, NLS-1, was launched on June 30, 2003 from Plesetsk, Russia.

Nanosatellite Launch System 2
Launch Date: June 30, 2003
Launch Vehicle: Rockot
Separation System: P-POD Launcher (USA)
Spacecraft Complement: QuakeSat (USA)
UTIAS/SFL played a leading role in arranging the launch and supporting the integration and the pre-launch servicing of QuakeSat during the Eurockot Multiple Orbit Mission campaign. The second integrated launch tube, NLS-2, was also launched on June 30, 2003 from Plesetsk, Russia.

[NLS-3: University of Tokyo students load XI-V into a UTIAS/SFL T-POD 1.7 in SSETI Express]

University of Tokyo students load XI-V
into a UTIAS/SFL T-POD 1.7
mounted in SSETI-Express

Nanosatellite Launch System 3
Launch Date: October 27, 2005
Launch Vehicle / Parent Spacecraft: Cosmos-3M, ESA SSETI Express
Separation System: T-POD 1.7 (Canada & Japan)
Spacecraft Complement: NCUBE-2 (Norway), UWE-1 (Germany), XI-V (Japan)
UTIAS/SFL supported the integration of three nanosatellites with the SSETI-Express microsatellite launched in 2005. UTIAS/SFL has developed three T-POD 1.7 separation systems for this purpose in collaboration with the University of Tokyo Intelligent Space Systems Laboratory (ISSL) in Japan.

Nanosatellite Launch System 4
Launch Date: April 28, 2008 at 03:54:51 UTC.
Launch Vehicle: Antrix Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PLSV-C9)
Separation System: XPOD Single (3), XPOD Triple (1), and XPOD Triple-Modified (1) Cute Separation System (1)
Spacecraft Complement: CanX-2 (Canada), AAUsat-2 (Denmark), Cute-1.7+APD II (Japan), COMPASS-1 (Germany), Delfi-C3 (Netherlands), SEEDS (Japan)
UTIAS/SFL negotiated with Antrix Corporation for launch of six nanosatellites on its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C9) on April 28, 2008. UTIAS/SFL lead the final integration and launch campaign for the NLS-4 payload package. NLS-4 used five XPOD separation systems, which is an evolution from the T-POD 1.7 design used in 2005. Three different sizes of XPODs will be used to accommodate the different sizes of payloads.

Nanosatellite Launch System 5
Launch Date: April 28, 2008 at 03:54:51 UTC
Launch Vehicle: Antrix Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C9)
Separation System: XPOD GNB
Spacecraft Complement: NTS (Canada)
NTS was a responsive space nanosatellite mission by COM DEV Ltd. and UTIAS/SFL. UTIAS/SFL negotiated with Antrix Corporation for accomodation of an XPOD GNB with NTS on its PSLV-C9 launch, already carrying the NLS-4 spacecraft complement. UTIAS lead the intgration and launch campaign. This was the first flight of the XPOD GNB deployment system and was successful.

Nanosatellite Launch System 6
Launch Date: June / July 2009
Launch Vehicle: Antrix Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
Separation System: XPOD (various configurations)
Spacecraft Complement: CanX-4 and CanX-5 (Canada) (TBC)
Sun Synchronous, 800 km, 10:30 LTDN UTIAS/SFL is planning to launch 4 to 6 nanosatellites in 2009 and welcomes additional partners wishing to share the launch. The orbit is Sun Synchronous, 800 km, 10:30 LTDN. XPOD separation systems will be used.

Nanosatellite Launch System 7
Launch Date: July-September 2009
Launch Vehicle: Antrix Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
Separation System: XPOD (various configurations)
Spacecraft Complement: BRiTE Constellation (Canada) (TBC)
UTIAS/SFL is planning to launch 4 to 6 nanosatellites in 2009 and welcomes additional partners wishing to share the launch. The orbit is Sun Synchronous, 650-670 km, 10:15 LTDN. XPOD separation systems will be used.

Nanosatellite Launch System 8
Launch Date: mid-2010
Launch Vehicle: Antrix Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
Separation System: XPOD (various configurations)
Spacecraft Complement: (TBC)
UTIAS/SFL is planning to launch 4 to 6 nanosatellites in 2009 and welcomes additional partners wishing to share the launch. The orbit is Sun Synchronous, 800 km, 06:00 LTDN. XPOD separation systems will be used.