The cosmos on a shoestring : small spacecraft for space and earth science / Liam Sarsfield.

By:

Sarsfield, Liam, 1955-

Contributor(s):

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: Santa Monica, CA : RAND, Critical Technologies Institute, 1998.Description: 1 online resource (xxxiv, 185 pages) : illustrationsContent type:

text

Media type:

computer

Carrier type:

online resource

ISBN:

0585361045
9780585361048
9780833025289
0833025287

Subject(s):

Genre/Form:

Additional physical formats: Print version:: Cosmos on a shoestring.DDC classification:

387.8/0973 21

LOC classification:

TL795.4 .S27 1998eb

Online resources:

Click here to access online

Action note:

digitized 2010 committed to preserve

Summary: Small spacecraft have become popular for a number of reasons, most prominently the needs to reduce overall cost, be built more quickly, and spread mission risks. NASA has been challenged with crafting a program that continues to produce meaningful science within the constraints of the available budget. Still, pound for pound, small spacecraft are not precisely inexpensive, given the effects of complexity, launch costs, and a greater degree of risk. Historically, science spacecraft have demonstrated increasing reliability, but this trend might not continue, given the shift to managed risk. There is generally less money available to smaller programs to test spacecraft functions and operational procedures prior to launch. Small spacecraft are also generally less robust. Efforts to reduce failure potentials through the application of more reliable components, better testing, and advanced design techniques should receive greater attention. Despite the risks, however, small spacecraft fulfill important roles in earth science, astrophysics, space physics, and planetary science. NASA's current generation of small spacecraft is capable of impressive levels of performance.

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"Prepared for the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

"MR-864-OSTP."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-185).

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Small spacecraft have become popular for a number of reasons, most prominently the needs to reduce overall cost, be built more quickly, and spread mission risks. NASA has been challenged with crafting a program that continues to produce meaningful science within the constraints of the available budget. Still, pound for pound, small spacecraft are not precisely inexpensive, given the effects of complexity, launch costs, and a greater degree of risk. Historically, science spacecraft have demonstrated increasing reliability, but this trend might not continue, given the shift to managed risk. There is generally less money available to smaller programs to test spacecraft functions and operational procedures prior to launch. Small spacecraft are also generally less robust. Efforts to reduce failure potentials through the application of more reliable components, better testing, and advanced design techniques should receive greater attention. Despite the risks, however, small spacecraft fulfill important roles in earth science, astrophysics, space physics, and planetary science. NASA's current generation of small spacecraft is capable of impressive levels of performance.

Electronic reproduction. [Place of publication not identified] : HathiTrust Digital Library, 2010. MiAaHDL

Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. MiAaHDL

http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212

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Print version record.

English.

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