Inspire Cube Sat
The INSPIRE project will demonstrate the revolutionary capability of deep space CubeSats by placing two nanospacecraft in Earth-escape orbit. Prior to any inclusion on larger planetary missions, CubeSats must demonstrate that they can operate, communicate, and be navigated far from Earth – these are the primary objectives of INSPIRE. Spacecraft components, such as a JPL X-band radio and a robust watchdog system, will provide the basis for future high-capability, lower-cost-risk missions beyond Earth. These components will enable future supplemental science and educational opportunities at many destinations. The nominal INSPIRE mission will last for three months and will achieve an expected Earth-probe distance of 1.5×108 km (dependent upon escape velocity as neither spacecraft will have propulsion capability). The project will monitor onboard telemetry; operate, communicate, and navigate with both spacecraft; demonstrate cross-link communications; and demonstrate science utility with an onboard magnetometer and imager. Lessons learned from this pathfinder mission will help to inform future interplanetary NanoSpacecraft and larger missions that might use NanoSpacecraft components.