Modular Common Spacecraft Bus

The Modular Common Spacecraft Bus being tested for use in the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)

The Modular Common Spacecraft Bus (MCSB) is a fast-development, low-cost, general purpose spacecraft platform. Its modular design is intended to reduce the cost, complexity, and lead time on missions by providing a reliable, well-characterized system that can carry a variety of payloads. According to NASA, "the spacecraft is roughly one tenth the price of a conventional unmanned mission and could be used to land on the moon, orbit Earth, or rendezvous with asteroids"^[1]

The initial prototype was built by 14 researchers at NASA Ames Research Center in just 15 months with a budget of $4 million. The fast development time is due in part to the novel use of repurposed SCUBA air tanks and a rocket engine that uses cold gas, in place of a conventional fuel/oxidizer or monopropellant engine. This allowed the team to test the system as fast as every 40 minutes in their lab, rather than waiting weeks or months for a time slot at an appropriate testing facility.^[2]

Missions

• After a flight demonstration to top NASA officials, the system is being included in the $80 million Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission.
• Odyssey Moon, a team participating in the Google Lunar X-prize competition, is using the MCSB in its MoonOne (M-1) lander.^[3]

References

1. ^ NASA Lunar Science Institute, Common Spacecraft Bus for Lunar Explorer Missions, includes video.
2. ^ Wired.com Science Blog, Meet the Spacecraft That Could Save NASA a Fortune, posted May 7, 2008
3. ^ Google Lunar X-Prize, NASA Ames' Common Spacecraft Bus- Hover Test Vehicle flights, posted November 3, 2008