STAR-3 (SPAWAR-CAL-R) Spacecraft

Calibration targets and technology demonstrations to improve tracking of small objects in space.

In addition to the ICE-Cap, the mission will launch three other Navy projects. These even-smaller 1U nanosatellites measure only 10 centimeters per side. The smaller Navy-built satellites will serve as calibration targets and technology demonstrations to improve tracking of small objects in space.

These satellites will host different combinations of radio frequency reflectors that reflect radar for improved space object tracking and optical reflectors that reflect lasers for precise measurement of satellite altitude. (Unknown mystery CubeSats attributed to US Government to get a total of quoted 49 CubeSats.)

The STAR-3 Mission, which consists of three passive 1U satellites to be used as calibration and characterization targets, was launched aboard the SSO-A SmallSat Express in December 2018. One of the STAR-3 satellites contains six NTE devices, mounted on each external panel of a 1U chassis. Another spacecraft has NTE devices on three surfaces and optical retro-reflectors on the other three surfaces. The third 1U has optical retro-reflectors on all six surfaces. Data from the STAR-3 mission was used for on-orbit characterization of the passive optical and radar retro-reflector devices.