Mission case studies using the rideshare enabling Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle

As rideshare launches become more available within the U.S., secondary payloads are still challenged by the limited choice of orbits and risk-adverse nature of primary payloads to allow for flexibility in the deployment sequence. The result is that a secondary payload´s final orbit is limited by its host and the propulsion capability of the individual spacecraft. Many of these challenges can be met through the use of a propulsive rideshare adapter. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission demonstrated the use of a propulsive EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) ring to expand and enhance an existing mission by utilizing the mass margin on a lunar launch. Similar propulsive ESPA technologies can be used as a baseline to provide orbit flexibility and optimization that was previously unattainable for secondary payloads. Multiple case studies were undertaken to demonstrate the utility, value and flexibility of the propulsive ESPA as a mission enabling technology. Cases examined included: Accelerated deployment of a smallsat constellation, which results in the optimal satellite placement in less than half the time of a traditional (passive) deployment; The deployment of multiple Earth Observation (EO) CubeSats into a low altitude LEO constellation from a secondary launch opportunity; A scenario to ferry multiple small payloads to Low Lunar Orbit (LLO) from earth orbit. In each of the scenarios identified, the particular use of a propulsive ESPA ring gives rise to a number of shared launch opportunities that would not have previously been considered and improves the overall access to space for rideshare passengers. Further extrapolating these results shows how a single launch vehicle could be used to deliver three disparate payloads to varying orbits without sacrificing any missions´ objectives.