Astro Aerospace's reflector helps NASA's SMAP satellite become operational
NewsMay 26, 2015
CARPINTERIA, Calif. Officials at NASA’S Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced that the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) spacecraft is operational. This marks the beginning a three-year mission of the satellite to provide global measurements of soil moisture.
SMAP was launched on Jan. 31 from the Vandenberg Air Force Base. The purpose of SMAP is to improve weather and climate prediction models by increasing scientist’s understanding of the processes that link Earth’s water, energy, and carbon cycles. SMAP will identify soil moisture levels and frozen or thawed water, which will help scientists understand how much carbon plants absorb from the atmosphere each year. The data collected by SMAP will also be used to improve flood prediction and monitor drought.
Astro Aerospace, a Northrop Grumman company, engineered AstroMesh. The spinning 20-foot reflector, AstroMesh, was launched on Feb. 24 enabling data capabilities. The 6-meter reflector and boom encompass a critical system for SMAP allowing the spacecraft to spin 15 revolutions-per-minute to create a conically scanning antenna beam of approximately 620 miles totaling a global mapping every two to three days. A verified mass properties model was developed because the reflector could not be dynamically tested on the ground.
The SMAP reflector weights 56 pounds. The stiff boom that reduces deflections caused by the spin rate weights 55 pounds and the launch restraint equipment weight is approximately 15 pounds, making the system's total approximate weight 127 pounds.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. manages SMAP. It will operate for a minimum of three years for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The SMAP observatory holds a 426-mile near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit, with equator crossings at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m
