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Educational Launch of Nanosatellites

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Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) is an initiative created by NASA to attract and retain students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.[1] The program is managed by the Launch Services Program (LSP) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Overview

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Engineers processing a CubeSat at a facility of Rocket Lab.

The ELaNa initiative has made partnerships with universities in the US to design and launch small research satellites called CubeSats (because of their cube shape). These low-cost CubeSat missions provide NASA with valuable opportunities to test emerging technologies that may be useful in future space missions, while university students get to be involved in all phases of the mission, from instrument and satellite design, to launch and monitoring.

A CubeSat has a cubic shape measuring 10 × 10 × 10 cm (1 unit or 1U), and can be fabricated of multiple cubic units such as 2U, 3U and 6U, and weighing 1.33 kg per unit. Because of the high cost incurred by launching them to orbit, ELaNa's satellites are launched as secondary payload on other missions that have mass and space to spare. Since the launch waiting list has grown considerably, another initiative was launched in 2015 in partnership with the private industry to develop launch vehicles dedicated to CubeSats exclusively. A new company is called Rocket Lab and their launch vehicle is the Electron rocket.[2] This agreement with NASA, enables the company to use NASA resources such as personnel, facilities and equipment for commercial launch efforts.[2][3] In 2015, NASA contracted two other companies for this purpose: Firefly Space Systems and Virgin Galactic.[4] Nevertheless, NASA CubeSats will continue to hitch rides as secondary payloads in larger rockets whenever possible.

As of August 2017, NASA's ELaNa initiative has selected 151 CubeSat missions, 49 of which have been launched into space.[5]

Missions

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ELaNa mission numbers are based on the order they are manifested; due to the nature of launching, the actual launch order differs from the mission numbers.

Launched missions

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Launch date (UTC) Mission name CubeSats deployed Main mission and
CubeSats included 		Launch vehicle Launch site
4 March 2011 ELaNa 1[6]
3 *
 (Glory) Hermes, Explorer-1 Prime, KySat-1[7]
* launch failure 		Taurus XL VAFB, LC-576
28 October 2011 ELaNa 3[8]
5
 (NPOESS Preparatory Project) RAX-2, M-Cubed, Explorer-1 Prime, DICE, AubieSat-1 Delta II 7920-10 VAFB, SLC-2 West
13 September 2012 ELaNa 6[9]
4
 (NROL-36)
CXBN, CP5, CINEMA, CSSWE[10] 		Atlas V 401 VAFB, SLC-3 East
20 November 2013 ELaNa 4[11][12][13]
12
 (ORS-3[14]) H-2, KySat-2, ChargerSat-1, SwampSat, Trailblazer, TJ3Sat, DragonSat-1, CAPE-2, PhoneSat 2.4, COPPER, DragonSat-1, Vermont Lunar[15] Minotaur I MARS, LP-0A
6 December 2013 ELaNa 2[16][17]
4
 (NROL-39)
CUNYSAT-1, IPEX, M-Cubed-2, FIREBIRD-1A/1B 		Atlas V 501 VAFB, SLC-3 East
22 February 2014 ELaNa 5[18][19]
5
 (SpaceX CRS-3)
ALL-STAR, PhoneSat 2.5, KickSat, SporeSat, TSAT[20] 		Falcon 9 / Dragon CCAFS, SLC-40
28 October 2014 ELaNa 8
1 *
 Cygnus CRS Orb-3
CHARM
* launch failure 		Antares 130 / Cygnus MARS, LP-0A
31 January 2015 ELaNa 10[21][22]
3
 (Soil Moisture Active Passive)
GRIFEX, EXOCUBE, FIREBIRD-2 A/B[23] 		Delta II 7320 VAFB, SLC-2 West
20 May 2015 ELaNa 11[24]
1
 (Boeing X-37#OTV-4)
LightSail-A 		Atlas V 501 CCAFS, SLC-41
8 October 2015 ELaNa 12[25][26]
4
 (NROL-55)
Fox-1, BisonSat, ARC, LMRST-Sat[27] 		Atlas V 401 VAFB, SLC-3 East
4 November 2015 ELaNa 7[28][29]
2 *
 (ORS-4[30])
Argus, PrintSat[31]
* launch failure[32] 		Super Strypi Pacific Missile Range Facility
6 December 2015 ELaNa 9[33][34]
3
 (Cygnus CRS Orb-4)
MinXSS, STMSat-1, CADRE 		Atlas V 401 / Cygnus CCAFS, SLC-41
18 April 2017 ELaNa 17[35]
3
 (Cygnus CRS OA-7)
CXBN-2, IceCube, CSUNSat-1[36] 		Atlas V 401 / Cygnus CCAFS, SLC-41
14 August 2017 ELaNa 22
3
 (SpaceX CRS-12)
ASTERIA, Dellingr, OSIRIS-3U[37][38] 		Falcon 9 / Dragon CCAFS, SLC-40
12 November 2017 ELaNa 13
2
 (Cygnus CRS OA-8E)
ISARA, EcAMSat[38] 		Antares 230 MARS, LP-0A
18 November 2017 ELaNa 14
4
 (JPSS-1)
MiRaTA, MakerSat-0, RadFxSat, EagleSat-1 		Delta II 7920 VAFB, SLC-2 West
21 May 2018 ELaNa 23
9
 (Cygnus CRS OA-9E)
HaloSat, TEMPEST-D1, EQUiSat, MemSat, CANOP, RadSat, RainCube, SORTIE, CubeRTT 		Antares 230 / Cygnus MARS, LP-0A
15 September 2018[39] ELaNa 18
5
 (ICESat-2)
DAVE, ELFIN*, ELFIN, SurfSat 		Delta II 7420 VAFB, SLC-2 West
17 November 2018 ELaNa 16
1
 (Cygnus CRS OA-10E)
KickSat-2 		Antares 230 / Cygnus MARS, LP-0A
3 December 2018 ELaNa 24
2
 (SSO-A mission managed by Spaceflight Industries)
IRVINE02, WeissSat-1 		Falcon 9 VAFB, SLC-4E
5 December 2018 ELaNa 21
2
 (SpaceX CRS-16)
TechEdSat-8, UNITE 		Falcon 9 CCAFS, SLC-40
16 December 2018 ELaNa 19
10
Electron Mahia, LC-1A
17 April 2019 ELaNa 26
5
 (Cygnus NG-11)
CAPSat, HARP, Virginia CubeSat Constellation 		Antares 230 MARS, LP-0A
25 June 2019 ELaNa 15
3
 (Space Test Program-2)
ARMADILLO, LEO (CP9), StangSat[40] 		Falcon Heavy KSC, LC-39A
25 July 2019 ELaNa 27
1
 (SpaceX CRS-18)
RFTSat 		Falcon 9 CCAFS, SLC-40
2 November 2019 ELaNa 25A
7
 (Cygnus NG-12)
Argus-02, HARP, HuskySat I, Phoenix, RadSat-U, SOCRATES, SwampSat II[38] 		Antares 230+ MARS, LP-0A
5 December 2019 ELaNa 25B and ELaNa 28
5
 (SpaceX CRS-19)
ELaNa 25B: AzTechSat 1, SORTIE, CryoCube 1
ELaNa 28: CIRiS, EdgeCube 		Falcon 9 CCAFS, SLC-40
14 February 2020 ELaNa 30
1
 (Cygnus NG-13)
TechEdSat-10 (TES-10) 		Antares 230+ MARS, LP-0A
13 June 2020 ELaNa 32
1
 ANDESITE Electron Mahia, LC-1A
3 October 2020 ELaNa 31
3
 (Cygnus NG-14)
Bobcat-1, NEUTRON-1, SPOC 		Antares 230+ MARS, LP-0A
17 January 2021[41] ELaNa 20
10
 CACTUS-1, CAPE-3, EXOCUBE-2, MiTEE, PICS 1, PICS 2, PolarCube, Q-PACE, RadFXSat-2, TechEdSat-7. LauncherOne Cosmic Girl, Mojave
24 January 2021[42] ELaNa 35
1
 (Nanosatellites)
PTD-1 		Falcon 9 CCAFS
20 February 2021 ELaNa 33
1
 (Cygnus NG-15)
IT-SPINS 		Antares 230+ MARS, LP-0A
3 June 2021 ELaNa 36
1
 (SpaceX CRS-22)
RamSat 		Falcon 9 KSC, LC-39A
29 August 2021[43] ELaNa 37
3
 (SpaceX CRS-23)
CAPSat, PR-CuNaR2, SPACE HAUC 		Falcon 9 KSC, LC-39A
27 September 2021[44] ELaNa 34
2
 (Landsat 9)
CUTE, CuPID 		Atlas V 401 CCSFS, SLC-41
21 December 2021[45] ELaNa 38
4
 (SpaceX CRS-24)
DAILI, GASPACS, PATCOOL, TARGIT 		Falcon 9 KSC, LC-39A
13 January 2022[46] ELaNa 29
2
 (STP-27VP)
PAN-A, B 		LauncherOne Cosmic Girl, Mojave
10 February 2022[47] ELaNa 41
4 *
 (VCLS Demo-2A)
BAMA-1, INCA, QubeSat, R5-S1
* launch failure 		Rocket 3 CCSFS, SLC-46
19 February 2022[48] ELaNa 44
1
 (Cygnus NG-17)
NACHOS 		Antares 230+ MARS, LP-0A
2 July 2022[49] ELaNa 39
2
 (STP-S28A)
GPX2, CTIM-FD 		LauncherOne Cosmic Girl, Mojave
15 July 2022[50] ELaNa 45
4
 (SpaceX CRS-25)
BeaverCube, CapSat-1, D3, JAGSAT 		Falcon 9 KSC, LC-39A
22 November 2022[51] ELaNa 49
4
 (SpaceX CRS-26)
MARIO, petitSat, SPORT, TJREVERB 		Falcon 9 KSC, LC-39A
15 March 2023[52] ELaNa 50
2
 (SpaceX CRS-27)
ARKSat-1, LightSail 		Falcon 9 KSC, LC-39A
15 April 2023[53] ELaNa 40
1
 (Transporter-7)
CIRBE 		Falcon 9 VSFB, SLC-4E
15 April 2023[53] ELaNa 47
2
 (Transporter-7)
LLITED-A, LLITED-B 		Falcon 9 VSFB, SLC-4E
4 March 2024[54] ELaNa 57
1
 (Transporter-10)
M3 		Falcon 9 VSFB, SLC-4E
21 March 2024[55] ELaNa 51
4
 (SpaceX CRS-30)
Big Red Sat-1, BurstCube, HyTi, SNoOPI 		Falcon 9 CCSFS, SLC-40
4 July 2024[56] ELaNa 43
8
 (VCLS Demo-2FB)
CatSat, KUbe-Sat-1, MESAT-1, R5-S2-2.0, R4-S4, Serenity, SOCi, TechEdSat-11 		Firefly Alpha VSFB, SLC-2W
9 July 2024 ELaNa 48
2
 (VA262)
CURIE A, CURIE B 		Ariane 6 Kourou
4 August 2024[57] ELaNa 52
2
 (Cygnus NG-21)
CySat-1, DORA 		Falcon 9 SLC-40

Future missions

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List of future missions:[58][59]

Launch date (UTC) Mission name No. of CubeSats Main mission and
CubeSats included 		Launch vehicle Launch site
TBA ELaNa 56
2
 (?)
TRYAD-1, TRYAD-2 		TBA TBA
TBA ELaNa 53
1
 (?)
Dione 		Falcon 9 TBA
TBA ELaNa 42
3
 (?)
R5-S3, R5-S5, R5-S6 		TBA TBA
TBA ELaNa 46
1
 (?)
TechEdSat-12 		TBA TBA
TBA ELaNa 55
1
 (?)
INCA-2 		TBA TBA

References

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  2. ^ a b Rocket Lab Signs NASA Partnership to Tap Launch Resources Caleb Henry 31 July 2015.
  3. ^ Rocket Lab poised to provide dedicated launcher for CubeSat science Adam Mann, Science Magazine 6 December 2017
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