Session: 01-10-01: Structures in Extreme Environments

Paper Number: 158848

158848 - Cost and Schedule Saving Through the Development of Protective Enclosures for Commercial Off the Shelf Instruments 

Current space qualified instruments, sensors, and computers have high costs, long lead times, and outdated functionalities compared to their Earth-based counterparts. Today, the commercial space industry is growing rapidly. Exploring new ways to reduce satellite development time and cost is essential to the viability of a sustainable space ecosystem. To continue advancing in space, Astroscale U.S. is developing a method to space qualify commercially available non-space-rated commercial off the shelf (COTS) instruments through the design, development, and testing of enclosures. The enclosure must protect the instrument from radiation, provide adequate thermal paths, and withstand heavy vibrations from launch. If these methods are proven successful, they have the promise to create a quicker and more cost-effective program that can meet rapid launch schedules and mitigate potential supply-chain issues.

This presentation aims to discuss the design, decisions, and environmental considerations Astroscale U.S. used when creating these enclosures. The presentation will also include a brief overview of the environmental test results of the enclosures with an emphasis on the successes and failures encountered during Astroscale U.S.’s initial endeavor. Cost, schedule, and the technical feasibility and performance will be used to compare space qualified components and the enclosed COTS components for a satellite program. Many lessons were learned throughout the entirety of the process, and the presentation will draw on these lessons to create suggestions and recommendations for similar programs.

© Astroscale U.S. Inc. 2025

Presenting Author: Nicole Mitchell Astroscale US

Presenting Author Biography: Nicole graduated from Colorado State University with bachelor's degrees in biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering. Her time in school was spent focusing on veterinary biotech, but she decided to switch career paths to space technologies. She interned at Altius Space Machines as a mechanical engineer and continued at Altius Space as a full-time engineer working on SBIRs and aiding in IRAD development of electro-permanent magnets. After Altius, Nicole joined the team at Astroscale US as a mechanical engineer on the docking team.