Mars Solar Hawk Spacecraft

Solar Sailing and Ion Powered CubeSat that acts as an experimental testbed for evaluating and advancing new integrated deep space propulsion technologies.

Mars Solar Hawk is our 3U CubeSat that serves as an experimental mission platform for testing the combination of Solar Sailing and hall-effect ion propulsion technologies for transfer to Mars in 60 days. It uses solar sail and ion propulsion technology to demonstrate the viability of propellantless acceleration and deceleration for future faster deep space exploration missions.

Our Mars Solar Hawk mission is an important step towards advancing our capabilities in deep space exploration and propulsion, as it aims to evaluate the performance and reliability of hybrid ion-powered and solar sailing systems. The results of this experiment will inform the development of more advanced spacecraft designs and pave the way for future deep space missions.

The solar Hawks sail is composed of four 22m2 Biaxially-oriented graphene polyethylene terephthalate composite deployable sails. These are lightweight sails harness the momentum of photons from solar radiation to propel a spacecraft through space without the need for fuel.

The heart of the Mars Solar Hawk lies in the synergistic fusion of solar sail acceleration and ion thruster deceleration. The solar sail, leveraging the power of sunlight, propels the CubeSat with remarkable efficiency, accelerating the spacecraft towards its destination. This innovative approach not only maximizes thrust for swift travel but also represents a significant leap forward in propulsion capabilities. As the Mars Solar Hawk approaches Mars, the transition to the ion thruster takes center stage. Utilizing advanced ion propulsion for deceleration ensures precise control and maneuverability as the spacecraft approaches its destination.

MISSION SPECIFICATION

• CubeSat: Infinity Space NextStar 3U Chassis
• Payload Average Power: 5W
• Peak Power Generation: 6W
• Point Accuracy: Up to 5° (Advanced ADCS)
• TT&C (VHF/UHF): 9.6kbps up and downlink
• Payload Data Downlink: 4.3Mbps (S-Band)
• Propulsion: A single 29mN Hall-Effect Ion Thruster
• Solar Sail: four 22m2 Biaxially-oriented graphene polyethylene terephthalate composite deployable sails

Launch year is currently a placeholder guess.