Digital Solid State Propulsion (DSSP) is an aerospace company developing microthruster
propulsion
Propulsion is the generation of force by any combination of pushing or pulling to modify the translational motion of an object, which is typically a rigid body (or an articulated rigid body) but may also concern a fluid. The term is derived from ...
technology for
small satellites. DSSP's technology utilizes Electric Solid Propellants (ESPs) to enable small satellites to make
orbital maneuver
In spaceflight, an orbital maneuver (otherwise known as a burn) is the use of propulsion systems to change the orbit of a spacecraft.
For spacecraft far from Earth (for example those in orbits around the Sun) an orbital maneuver is called ...
s that have generally not been possible in the very small, mass-constrained satellites such as
CubeSat
A CubeSat is a class of miniaturized satellite based around a form factor consisting of cubes. CubeSats have a mass of no more than per unit, and often use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for their electronics and structure. CubeSat ...
s and
nanosat
A small satellite, miniaturized satellite, or smallsat is a satellite of low mass and size, usually under . While all such satellites can be referred to as "small", different classifications are used to categorize them based on mass. Satellites ...
s.
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DSSP's first flight was aboard the NRL
SPINSAT
SpaceX CRS-4, also known as SpX-4, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station (ISS), contracted to NASA, which was launched on 21 September 2014 and arrived at the space station on 23 September 2014. It was t ...
, launched as a secondary payload on
SpaceX CRS-4
SpaceX CRS-4, also known as SpX-4, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station (ISS), contracted to NASA, which was launched on 21 September 2014 and arrived at the space station on 23 September 2014. It was t ...
and deployed from the
Kibo module
Kibo may refer to:
* KibÅ (ISS module), Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), component of the International Space Station
* Kibo, a volcanic cone forming the main summit of Mount Kilimanjaro
* An alias of James Parry, who as "Kibo" became a cult fi ...
airlock on 28 November 2014. NASA safety experts approved the mission because the satellite's 12 thruster-clusters burn an inert solid fuel, that only ignite when an electric charge is passed across it.
In July 2012, DSSP won second place in the ''2012 NewSpace Business Plan Competition'' in
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo Count ...
, sponsored by the
Space Frontier Foundation
The Space Frontier Foundation is an American space advocacy nonprofit corporation organized to promote the interests of increased involvement of the private sector, in collaboration with government, in the exploration and development of space. ...
.
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References
{{Reflist
External links
DSSP company website
Aerospace companies of the United States
Companies based in Reno, Nevada