NASA is due to test a range of new rocket technologies from its facility in Virginia next week.
The technologies will be tested on a Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket, from NASA’s launch range at its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The new technologies being trialed include the Small Rocket/Spacecraft Technology (SMART) platform, Autonomous Flight Safety System, Low Cost Telemetry Transmitter, and an electrohydrodynamic-based thermal control unit.
The SMART platform is designed to provide faster, less expensive access to space because of its modular, reconfigurable design. Users can adapt SMART to fulfil a variety of missions, ranging from optical imaging to radio-frequency applications.
The Low Cost Telemetry Transmitter aims to eventually eliminate the need for tracking stations down-range, saving money and providing rapid access to vehicle-performance data.
The electrohydrodynamic-based thermal control unit uses electric fields to pump coolant through tiny ducts inside a thermal cold plate. The system requires no moving parts—only electrodes to apply the voltage to move the coolant.
The rocket is set for launch between 7am and 10am EDT, with back-up launch days scheduled for June 10 and 11, NASA said.
