Aerospace Corp. tests DiskSat pancake-shaped satellite architecture

The Aerospace Corporation is demonstrating the viability of its DiskSat, a pancake-shaped satellite configuration designed to replace traditional boxy CubeSats. Following a successful December launch on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket, four 17-kilogram DiskSats have successfully demonstrated peak power production and S-band signal transmission.

The DiskSat design features a 1-meter diameter and a 2.5-centimeter depth, utilizing carbon fiber composite facesheets bonded to an aluminum-honeycomb core. This thin profile is intended to minimize orbital drag, allowing the satellites to operate in Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) at altitudes below 350 km. The next phase of the mission involves using electric thrusters provided by the European company Enpulsion to lower the satellites' altitude.

The architecture is gaining commercial interest, with Australian propulsion startup Neumann Space planning to license the DiskSat design for future missions. The stackable nature of the satellites aims to maximize rocket fairing capacity and improve launch economics.