OrcaSat program
OS-3 · proposed
OrcaSat-3
Mars-relay technology demonstrator
Gated — research only
Fly a 6U CubeSat in LEO with a deployable X-band high-gain antenna (≥25 dBi) and store-and-forward relay software — Mars-relay-relevant technology, not a Mars mission.
- Form
- 100 × 226.3 × 366 mm
- Mass
- ≤ 12 kg
- Platform
- KEEL-3
- HGA
- X-band ≥25 dBi
- OBC
- Zynq-class
- Pointing
- Sub-degree
- Orbit
- ~500 km SSO
- Gate
- Z — after OrcaSat-2
Validates
- Deployable folded-panel reflectarray HGA, MarCO-class heritage
- X-band radio in 8.025–8.4 GHz EESS allocation
- Store-and-forward relay software simulating a distant-asset workflow
- Sub-degree pointing with star-tracker ADCS
- Form
- 6U CubeSat in LEO
- Mass
- ~8 kg
- Budget
- $150k–$280k
- Timeline
- Year 5–8