The U.S Coast Guard (USCG) Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Program, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), launched two 6U CubeSats from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California in December. The CubeSats, or miniature satellites, are part of the Polar Scout project to evaluate the effectiveness of space-based sensors in support of Arctic search-and-rescue missions. Knowledge gained from the demonstration will be used to inform satellite technology recommendations for many potential applications within the USCG and across DHS.

The CubeSats, dubbed Yukon and Kodiak, were launched into a low-earth polar orbit along with a package of other spacecraft from 17 different countries. The launch was part of a dedicated rideshare mission called SSO-A: SmallSat Express facilitated by the Seattle-based company, Spaceflight. The small-satellite payload was carried into orbit on the Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket.

In the 18 months leading up to the launch, DHS S&T handled the fabrication of Yukon and Kodiak, which are tailored specifically to detect 406 MHz emergency distress beacons. At the same time, the USCG Research and Development Center (RDC) deployed two ground stations—one at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut and one at University of Alaska Fairbanks—using the MC3 architecture and network. The ground stations will receive all of the signals from the CubeSats during the demonstration.

DHS began testing and demonstrations using emergency distress beacons in the Arctic this month, and the tests will continue through the summer. The Polar Scout project is providing insight on the process, cost and feasibility of acquiring and using organic satellites. The USCG and DHS will use the knowledge gained from Polar Scout and the MC3 installs, along with market research and space mission design assessments, to develop satellite technology recommendations.

Potential uses for satellites include improving communication in the arctic environment, monitoring large areas for illegal activity and helping to locate persons lost at sea. They could also reduce the time and resources spent on intensive aircraft searches and reduce the risks associated with placing personnel in hazardous situations that only need sensors and communications on scene. The satellites will also help USCG respond to maritime disasters quickly and preserve lives and cargo along trade routes in the Arctic Circle. —DHS Science & Technology Directorate

An excerpt from SpaceX describing the launch of a group of small satellites:

“On Monday, December 3rd at 10:34 a.m. PST, SpaceX successfully launched Spaceflight SSO-A: SmallSat Express to a low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Carrying 64 payloads, this mission represented the largest single rideshare mission from a U.S.-based launch vehicle to date.”

Read more about the assembly of the payload and the 34 schools, industry and government groups who included small satellites in the launch at Spaceflight’s SSO-A page.

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