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 Service 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 Service 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 Service 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

[NLS-4: NLS-4 and NLS-5 spacecraft mounted on PSLV-C9]

NLS-4 and NLS-5 spacecraft
mounted on the PLSV-C9

AISSat-1 inside XPOD15G
mounted on PSLV-C15

Nanosatellite Launch Service 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 Service 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-M1 (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 Service 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 Service 6
Launch Date:Jul 12, 2010 at 3:52:00 UTC
Launch Vehicle: Antrix Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C15)
Separation System: XPOD GNB, XPOD Single
Spacecraft Complement: AISSat-1 (Norway/Canada), TIsat-1 (Swiss) (TBC)
AISSat-1 (SFL-built nanosatellite for Norwegian Defence Research Establishment) and TIsat-1 (University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland) will be launched on the PSLV-C15 into 635 km sun sychronous orbit with 09:30 LTDN.
Link to the NLS-6 Launch Status Blog

Nanosatellite Launch Service 7
Launch Date: 2010/2011
Launch Vehicle: Antrix Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
Separation System: XPOD Duo
Spacecraft Complement: CanX-4 and CanX-5(Canada)
NLS-7 will carry the twin-spacecraft CanX-4 and CanX-5 formation flying mission. This flight is intended to be the first flight of the XPOD Duo separation system that is capable of carrying 15 kg, 20 cm by 20 cm by 40 cm spacecraft

Nanosatellite Launch Service 8
Launch Date: mid-2011
Launch Vehicle: Antrix Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
Separation System: XPOD GNB, XPOD Double-M2
Spacecraft Complement: BRITE-Austria, UniBRITE, partners
UTIAS/SFL is in final negotation with ANTRIX for the launch of at least three spacecraft. The lead spacecraft in this launch is the SFL-designed BRITE-Austria (TU Graz) astronomy nanosatellite and the SFL-built UniBRITE (University of Vienna). The launch is targeting a 800 km sun synchronous orbit with 06:00 LTDN.

Future Nanosatellite Launch Service
UTIAS/SFL is also negotiating three additional launches in 2011-2013 timeframe, for the launch of SFL and partner spacecraft. Additional partners wishing to share the launch are welcome. Target orbits include multiple sun synchronous as well as medium inclination orbits.