"Four small satellites rode a Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle into orbit from Virginia early Thursday, beginning a government-funded technology demonstration mission to test the performance of a new spacecraft design. The satellites were nestled inside a cylindrical dispenser on top of the 59-foot-tall (18-meter) Electron rocket when it lifted off from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility at 12:03 am EST (05:03 UTC)."
"The launch was the starting gun for a "proof of concept" mission to test the viability of a new kind of satellite called DiskSats. These satellites were designed by the Aerospace Corporation, a nonprofit federally funded research and development center. The project is jointly financed by NASA and the US Space Force, which paid for DiskSat's development and launch, respectively."
"The DiskSats are 39 inches (1 meter) wide, about twice the diameter of a New York-style pizza, and measure just 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) thick. Made of composite carbon fiber, each satellite carries solar cells, control avionics, reaction wheels, and an electric thruster to change and maintain altitude. "The launch went perfectly, and the DiskSat dispenser worked exactly as designed," said Darren Rowen, the project's chief engineer, in a statement."
Four DiskSats launched on a Rocket Lab Electron from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility and were released into orbit at roughly 340 miles (550 kilometers). The mission is a government-funded technology demonstration to test a new flat disc satellite design optimized for rideshare launches. The project was developed by the Aerospace Corporation with joint financing from NASA and the U.S. Space Force, which funded development and launch respectively. Each DiskSat measures 39 inches wide and 1 inch thick, is made of composite carbon fiber, and carries solar cells, control avionics, reaction wheels, and an electric thruster. Ground teams established contact with all four satellites and confirmed the dispenser operated as designed, and ongoing tests will evaluate performance and viability.
Read at Ars Technica
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