Advancing Technology for NASA Science with Small Spacecraft

NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is strategically promoting the use of small spacecraft to advance its science portfolio. Related to this effort are an increasing number of targeted investments in instrument- and platform-based technologies, which are critical for achieving successful science missions with small spacecraft. Beginning in 2012, SMD’s technology programs began to accommodate the use of CubeSats for validation of new science instruments. Since that time the Directorate has expanded the use of CubeSats and small satellites not only for validating instruments for future, conventional-class missions but also to enable a new class of focused science missions that fill an important role in democratizing scientific discovery. To enable such missions, the Directorate has recently modified the portfolios of the Agency’s technology programs to accommodate this need. This paper outlines some of the processes that are used to craft the technology solicitations and discusses some of the recent selections that have been made. It is intended to help future proposers of small satellite missions to better understand the opportunities available through NASA technology solicitations