PacSci EMC Proves New Technologies on Demonstrator Satellite
PacSci EMC successfully completed initial payload tests of new technologies on its on-orbit technology demonstrator satellite, PACSCISAT, on June 30, 2017. After a one-week satellite commissioning period in a 515 km, sun synchronous, polar orbit, PacSci EMC successfully passed built-in-tests (BIT) on both its primary and redundant Smart Energetics Architecture (SEA™) sequencing system and devices, fired two Smart Initiators, and demonstrated pyrotechnic rocket based attitude control maneuvers.
“This phase of the mission proved that our SEA based networked Sequencing System firing Smart Initiators, performs reliably and precisely as commanded and is now at technology readiness level 9 (TRL-9),” said Greg Scaven, PacSci EMC’s president. “Our goal with this mission was to answer the question ‘has this hardware flown in space before?’ and now the answer is yes. We believe that our sequencing system and pyrotechnic devices will be a game changer for the NewSpace market providing very low power, flexible, high precision sequencing capability for satellite release and spacecraft operations as well as attitude control capability.”
The low power, SEA sequencing system is capable of firing hundreds of pyrotechnic devices with microsecond repeatability and sub-millisecond sequencing. It can be used to deploy solar arrays, scientific instruments and many other devices used on satellites and spacecraft.
PacSci EMC products are used in all phases of vehicle flight beginning with ground-based operations through lift-off/boost, solid rocket booster jettison, payload fairing separation, booster separation, second stage flight, payload separation and flight termination.