[[Home|🏠]] <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> [[Missions]] <span style="color: LightSlateGray">></span> LOXSAT ## Mission Details **Customer:** [[Space Development Agency (SDA)]] In 2020, Rocket Lab was selected by [[Eta Space]] to use [[Electron]] and [[Photon]] to conduct a flight demonstration of a complete cryogenic fluid management (CFM) system in orbit for [[NASA]]. The spacecraft, known as **LOXSAT-1**, is being flown under NASA’s [Tipping Point program](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2024/05/03/nasas-tipping-point-program-fostering-commercial-space-innovation/) to advance cryogenic propellant technologies that could eventually enable long-duration human space exploration. The mission will **build, launch, and test a cryogenic fuel depot in low Earth orbit**, evaluating the ability to store and transfer liquid oxygen (LOX) without boil-off. Over a ~9-month mission, LOXSAT will demonstrate active cryogenic thermal control and docking/transfer technologies, collecting critical data to support the development of future orbital propellant depots. 🔗 [Rocket Lab Mission Page](https://www.rocketlabusa.com/missions/upcoming-missions/loxsat1/) ![[Pasted image 20250112141351.jpg]] ## Launch - **Vehicle**: Rocket Lab [[Electron]] - **Bus**: [[Photon]] - **Location**: [[Launch Complex 1]] - **Timeline**: Scheduled Q4 2025 (possibly early 2026). [Source](https://x.com/rocketrepreneur/status/1857159161240551856/photo/3) ## Spacecraft ### LOXSAT-1 #### Summary LOXSAT-1 is a small-scale cryogenic technology demonstrator, mounted on a Rocket Lab [[Photon]] satellite bus. It is designed to collect critical CFM data in orbit while testing **10 different cryogenic fluid management technologies** required to make orbital propellant depots feasible. ![[Pasted image 20250816131957.png]] #### Specifications | Specification | Details | | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Platform/Bus** | [[Photon]] | | **Payload** | Spherical LOX tank with active thermal control (PMD, pump, cryocooler, spray-bar injector, heat exchanger) | | **Payload Mass** | 140 kg | | **Orbit** | 425-450 km, 40* | | **Power** | 300 W orbital average power | | **Mission Duration** | ~9 months | [Source](https://x.com/rocketrepreneur/status/1857159161240551856/photo/2) #### Payload The primary payload is a **spherical liquid oxygen (LOX) tank** integrated with a complete cryogenic fluid management (CFM) system. The tank and hardware are designed to demonstrate **zero-boil-off storage** and **on-orbit transfer of LOX**. Key payload elements include: - **Propellant Management Device (PMD):** Keeps LOX settled and properly oriented in microgravity. - **Cryocooler + Heat Exchanger:** Removes thermal energy from the system to prevent boil-off, enabling long-term storage. - **Positive Displacement Pump:** Pressurizes and circulates liquid oxygen during transfer tests. - **Spray-Bar Injector:** Mixes subcooled fluid into the tank to reduce ullage pressure and bulk liquid temperature. - **Docking & Transfer Interfaces:** Flight-rated cryogenic disconnects to demonstrate repeated mating/de-mating and fluid transfer. Together, these systems will validate the ability to **store, chill, and move cryogenic propellants in orbit**, a critical milestone toward creating operational propellant depots for future human and robotic exploration missions. ![[Pasted image 20250816131604.jpg|350]] ## Objectives LOXSAT-1 will test a range of technologies and collect engineering data needed to enable long-term cryogenic propellant storage and transfer in orbit: ✅ **Zero-boil-off storage:** Demonstrate cryocooler and thermal control systems that prevent propellant loss over extended durations. ✅ **Fluid transfer operations:** Use flight-qualified cryogenic disconnects to test repeated docking, undocking, and transfer cycles. ✅ **Propellant conditioning:** Validate the ability to subcool liquid oxygen and manage tank ullage pressure through spray-bar mixing. ✅ **Microgravity management:** Employ a propellant management device (PMD) to keep cryogenic liquid stable and available for transfer in low-gravity conditions. ✅ **System integration:** Evaluate performance of combined cryogenic subsystems (tank, pump, heat exchanger, injectors) on an operational smallsat platform. ## Cryo-Dock 🔗https://etaspace.com/cryo-dock After proving key CFM technologies on LOXSAT, [[Eta Space]] engineers will use the data and lessons learned to create a fully commercial orbiting propellant depot called Cryo-Dock. This depot will have a standardized, agnostic interface to provide reservicing of cryogenic upper stages and orbital transfer vehicles in cis-lunar space.  🔗 [Backup Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcm7Q797jPI&ab_channel=EtaSpace) ## News %% DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: start ``` table published as "Published" from "News" where contains(mission, [[LOXSAT]]) sort published desc ``` %% | File | Published | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | | [[News/Rocket Lab Announces Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results and Issues Guidance for the Fourth Quarter 2021.md\|Rocket Lab Announces Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results and Issues Guidance for the Fourth Quarter 2021]] | November 15, 2021 | %% DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: end %% ## Media