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Pony Express 2 [Tyvak]
Pony Express 2 is technology demonstration mission funded and built by Tyvak, consisting of two identical 12U CubeSats designed to demonstrate and improve the technology readiness level of various payloads and vehicle components. The carry RF payloads developed by Lockheed Martin for receiving, crosslink, and ranging communication to facilitate demonstration capabilities.
Pony Express 2 will further advance cloud networking concepts among satellites, as well as validating Lockheed Martin's SmartSat software-defined satellite architecture which enables streamlined hosting of flexible mission apps. This mission consists of two 12U cubesats with faster, more capable ultra-scale processors that unlock in-orbit data analytics and artificial intelligence. Equipped with miniaturized cross-link and precision timing, Pony Express 2 is a trailblazer for autonomous teaming in space and true cloud networking.
The satellites will operate in identical orbits with an approximate three to five kilometer separation distance.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Technology |
| Operator: | Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc., Locheed Martin |
| Contractors: | Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, Inc. (bus), Locheed Martin |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | CubeSat (12U) |
| Propulsion: | 1 ThrustMe NPT30-I2 Iodine ion thruster |
| Power: | 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries |
| Lifetime: | 3 years |
| Mass: | 26 kg |
| Orbit: |
Launch Sites:
- Va = Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA
References:
- Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin Launches First Smart Satellite Enabling Space Mesh Networking, 16 January 2020
