Lockheed Martin's tech may allow quick calibration of space payload

The aerospace and defense company has partnered with Firefly Aerospace to launch this mission, which is expected to take place in December. 

The payload will be carried into space aboard Firefly's Alpha rocket and equipped on a Terran Orbital Nebula small satellite bus.

The official release highlights Alpha's success in launching the U.S. Space Force's VICTUS NOX “responsive space mission” with just 24 hours' notice in September.

If this new ESA sensor performs as expected, it may enable satellites or spacecraft to kick-start scientific observation soon after their deployment in orbit. 

“We designed this technology to showcase how a highly producible ESA antenna could be built, launched, and quickly calibrated and fielded on orbit, in support of 21st Century Security,” said Maria Demaree, vice president and general manager of National Security Space at Lockheed Martin Space. 

Payload sensor developed within 24 months

This payload was created by Lockheed Martin Space's Ignite group, which took it from an early conceptual design to a flight-ready product in less than 24 months.

The payload represents Lockheed Martin Space's ongoing commitment to exploratory research and development through its Ignite organization. This organization focuses on accelerating technology development and introducing new product innovations to stay ahead in the ever-evolving space industry.

“Within the Ignite construct, the payload was developed from early architecture to flight-ready product in 24 months on an accelerated schedule piloting many streamlined agile processes,” said Sonia Phares, vice president of Ignite at Lockheed Martin Space. 

“For this demonstration, Lockheed Martin has invested its own resources and is embracing more calculated risks from initial development through on-orbit operations to bring new technologies to the forefront of space faster and to keep our customers ahead of ready,” added Phares. 

Tantrum adds to the company's growing tech portfolio

Tantrum adds to Lockheed Martin's portfolio of self-funded technology demonstrator spacecraft.

As per the release, these include the Pony Express 2, which showcased mesh networking among satellites, and the Tactical Satellite, which demonstrated on-orbit processing, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance functions. 

This latest endeavor follows Lockheed Martin's successful launch and testing of its In-space Upgrade Satellite System demonstrator earlier this year. The demonstration validated how small satellites can “help upgrade and sustain space architectures with new capabilities.”