Standardization of the Launch Vehicle Interface for Small Payloads

Reduction of the cost, risk, and schedule impact to small satellite developers of access to orbit is a key element in furthering the demand for small satellite services. The most effective means to achieve this reduction is to infuse standardization into the launch vehicle interface. Standardization will minimize the unique design and test efforts required to perform a launch. Achieving this lofty goal requires a comprehensive approach, taking into account requirements analysis and mission design, software design and test, and hardware design and fabrication. Mission analysis tasks are streamlined through the development of user friendly tool packages which maximize automation and utilize standardized input data packages, along with the development of comprehensive vehicle databases. Software standardization is maximized through exploitation of the commonality of functions, both algorithmic and I/O oriented, and driving toward computer hardware independence. Hardware standardization of electrical and mechanical interfaces will require industry consensus, but should be achievable, at least for payloads in the same weight class.