SmallSpark Space Systems

Accelerating Mission and Spacecraft Development through Misson Driven Design Automation

Created: 2024-01-12

Updated: 2024-03-02

Company - SmallSpark Space Systems

Founded
Country: 2018; UK

Funding: $2.87M+

Website: SmallSpark Space Systems

Social

Product/Service

Classification: In-Space Transportation

Category: Space Tug

Status: Concept

First launch: Not announced

Mission Management Suite

Mission and Systems Planning, Execution and Active Management platform, embedded with our Mission Driven Design Automation technology to support accelerated spacecraft design

CIPHER

A secure, modular, radiation tolerant data and power management unit utilising next-generation materials to enable Plug & Play integration of payloads and avionics into spacecraft

Product/Service - S4-SLV

Classification: In-Space Transportation

Category: Transport Service (LEO-Moon)
Space Tug
Transport Service (LEO-GEO)
Orbital Transportation

Fields: In-Space Transportation

Status: Concept

First launch: Not announced

SmallSparks S4SLV's demo flight is targeted for 2024 - an upper stage logistics vehicle for Small Launch Vehicles (including our own) - enabling upto 15kg's to be transfered to lunar orbit; providing onboard power, communications.

Funding of £76,000 for development and maturation of SmallSpark’s dual-firing mode propulsion system, the S4-NEWT-A2; which will form part of the architecture of its S4-SLV in-space logistics vehicle, and as a candidate system for upper-stage launch vehicles.

The SLV seeks to provide logistics support for small satellites and aims to remove the need for manufacturers to develop dedicated propulsion, power and communications systems, by providing all of these onboard its reusable vehicle. A demo mission is slated for 2024 onboard one of the UK’s upcoming launch vehicles and is designed to service up to 60 satellites in a lifetime; with slot reservations available on the SmallSpark site.

Set to be the first of its kind demonstrated in space, the S4-NEWT-A2 aims to provide enhanced mobility and logistics capabilities for the S4-SLV – a vehicle under development by SmallSpark that will simplify the transportation of low-mass payloads within the cislunar system, providing communications, power and mobility.

The S4-NEWT-A2 will be one of the core systems that will enable SmallSpark’s S4-SLV to reliably move throughout cislunar space, and with the intention to be refuelled in space each vehicle seeks to serve at least 50 payloads in its lifetime; ending with a deorbit burn and bringing debris down with it.

The S4-SLV lunar space tug has been removed from the website as of February 2024, thus the "Concept" status. Company is active but the Mission Management Suite and CIPHER avionics are out-of-scope for this database.

Created: 2022-12-09

Updated: 2024-03-02

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