NanoAvionics

NanoAvionics Corp is an advanced nanosatellite bus manufacturer and mission integrator founded as a spin-off from Vilnius University, Lithuania in 2014.

NanoAvionics Corp
IndustryAerospace Engineering, Nanosatellite Buses
Headquarters,
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Vytenis J. Buzas (CEO)[1]
Websitenanoavionics.com

Overview

The founders of the company consist of the members of the first successful Lithuanian CubeSat project LituanicaSAT-1 which was one of two first European CubeSats launched from International Space Station.[2]

The company specializes in production of pre-configured nano satellite buses and solutions for commercial and scientific nanosatellite missions: mission design, hardware assembly, integration and verification, testing campaigns, standardized products (highly integrated Communication, On-board Computer, Attitude Determination and Control Systems, Solar panels, Structural elements), modular chemical propulsion systems.[3] It markets four multipurpose satellite buses: M12P, M6P, M3P, and M2P made to confirm to 12U, 6U, 3U, and 2U Cubesat standards correspondingly.

Implemented missions

  • LituanicaSAT-1 is one of the two first Lithuanian satellites launched from the Wallops Flight Facility by Antares rocket, with the International Space Station (ISS) resupply cargo ship Cygnus 2 in January 2014.
  • LituanicaSAT-2 is the second mission of NanoAvionics intended for EU project "QB50" led by the Von Karman Institute (VKI) for fluid dynamics (Belgium), under the European Commission's research and innovation program FP7 (2007-2013).[4] LituanicaSAT-2 was developed by NanoAvionics under the contract with Vilnius University.[5] LituanicaSAT-2 is consisting of three main modules: a science unit with the FIPEX (Flux-Φ-Probe Experiment) sensor for "QB50", a functional unit with NanoAvionics Command and Service module plus power unit and an experimental unit with the “green” propulsion system.[5]
  • Blue Walker 1 and M6P are two successful orbital missions based on NanoAvionics M6P nanosatellite bus.[6] The first nanosatellite “Blue Walker 1” is a 6U satellite bus that was first of a series of satellites to test AST & Science technologies in space. The second nanosatellite “M6P” was a mission that hosted payloads from two companies specializing in Internet of Things (IoT) communication. Both were launched 1 April 2019 aboard a PSLV-QL rocket.

The NanoAvionics core engineering team has also implemented over 70 successful commercial missions[7][8] and sold their products and services to over 20 countries.[9]

Research and development

NanoAvionics Corp has been awarded a grant from EC under research and innovation program "Horizon2020" for the project "Enabling Propulsion System for Small Satellites (EPSS) Market".[10] The purpose of this project is to carry out a feasibility study for proposed propulsion system market potential and develop a business model for product development. Suggested new propulsion system is important for small satellite market suggesting green chemical propulsion system which makes use of an environmentally friendly propellant, and is a low cost integral plug and play design offering great economic advantages to the growing small satellite market, which presently suffers from the unavailability of a low cost, high performance propulsion solution.[10] It is expected that the new technology will improve the precision and prolong the orbit lifetime of a satellite up to 5x: from 3–4 months up till 15-18.[11]

NanoAvionics Corp, together with the National Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), Lithuania, also carried out a project on innovative catalytic materials for miniaturized monopropellant thruster systems.[12]

References

  1. Annamarie Nyirady (August 6, 2019). "NanoAvionics Hires Former AAC/Clyde Space North America CEO, Opens US Office". www.satellitetoday.com. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  2. "NanoAvionics | CrunchBase". www.crunchbase.com. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  3. "StartupLithuania.lt". Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  4. "LituanicaSAT-2 | NanoAvionics". n-avionics.com. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  5. "LituanicaSAT 2 (QB50 LT01)". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  6. "India Will Launch 2 NanoAvionics Satellites". www.satellitetoday.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  7. "NanoAvionics announces 2 satellite launch for 3 customers". spaceitbridge.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  8. "NanoAvionics hires US, Europe executives, opens US facility". spaceitbridge.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  9. "NanoAvionics secures investment from AST&Science and expands to the US". sorainen.com. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  10. "European Commission : CORDIS : Projects & Results Service : Enabling Chemical Propulsion System for the Growing Small Satellite Market". cordis.europa.eu. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  11. "Can you launch a satellite with €193 000? Lithuanian startups can! | ArcticStartup". ArcticStartup. 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
  12. "ICAT | NanoAvionics". n-avionics.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-08. Retrieved 2016-08-09.
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