Article

Focus on satellites deployment systems

On Saturday, April 15th, 2023 the Transporter 7 rideshare mission by SpaceX took off from California to deploy 51 payloads in orbit ranging from less than a kilogram to several hundred kilograms. So, you may wonder how so many different satellites are deployed during a single launch? 🚀 🛰️🛰️🛰️

There are 2 main devices used in the space industry to deploy SmallSats: CubeSat dispensers and separation rings. Both are critical components of the satellite deployment process, enabling a wide range of missions to be launched and applications to be met.

✅ With the growing demand for satellite technology, the development and use of these devices are becoming increasingly important in the space industry. A few key facts about each of them:

📦CUBESAT DISPENSER also called DEPLOYER: the most common variant are the 3U and 12U deployers but they can come in any size up to16U. The interesting part about larger dispensers such as 12U and 16U is that they can be reconfigured to host and deploy varying configurations of smaller sized CubeSats.

They commonly use spring-based mechanisms and sequencers to safely push away and deploy each payload individually.

⚪ RINGS: separation ring are used to deploy larger and non standard satellites such as MicroSats (as opposed to CubeSats) and come in a variety of diameters to support a range of masses from 20 to 500 kilograms.

They exist on the market in diameters from 8 inches (20,32 cms) to 40 inches (101,6 cms) and the most common variants are 8, 15 and 24 inch diameters.

The basic mechanism offered by these separation devices is similar to the one in deployers, which are spring-actuated. It usually consists of two rings, one being attached to the satellite to deploy (Called the S-Ring) and the other one to the upper stage of the launcher (Called the L-Ring).

To let the deployment sequence occurs, the S-Ring is simply pushed away from the L-Rings by springs.

📩 If you have any question about these deployment systems, reach out to our team using the form below.

On Saturday, April 15th, 2023 the Transporter 7 rideshare mission by SpaceX took off from California to deploy 51 payloads in orbit ranging from less than a kilogram to several hundred kilograms. So, you may wonder how so many different satellites are deployed during a single launch? 🚀 🛰️🛰️🛰️

There are 2 main devices used in the space industry to deploy SmallSats: CubeSat dispensers and separation rings. Both are critical components of the satellite deployment process, enabling a wide range of missions to be launched and applications to be met.

✅ With the growing demand for satellite technology, the development and use of these devices are becoming increasingly important in the space industry. A few key facts about each of them:

📦CUBESAT DISPENSER also called DEPLOYER: the most common variant are the 3U and 12U deployers but they can come in any size up to16U. The interesting part about larger dispensers such as 12U and 16U is that they can be reconfigured to host and deploy varying configurations of smaller sized CubeSats.

They commonly use spring-based mechanisms and sequencers to safely push away and deploy each payload individually.

⚪ RINGS: separation ring are used to deploy larger and non standard satellites such as MicroSats (as opposed to CubeSats) and come in a variety of diameters to support a range of masses from 20 to 500 kilograms.

They exist on the market in diameters from 8 inches (20,32 cms) to 40 inches (101,6 cms) and the most common variants are 8, 15 and 24 inch diameters.

The basic mechanism offered by these separation devices is similar to the one in deployers, which are spring-actuated. It usually consists of two rings, one being attached to the satellite to deploy (Called the S-Ring) and the other one to the upper stage of the launcher (Called the L-Ring).

To let the deployment sequence occurs, the S-Ring is simply pushed away from the L-Rings by springs.

📩 If you have any question about these deployment systems, reach out to our team using the form below.