The use of CSA Engineering’s ESPA ring by the LCROSS designers has resulted in a considerable savings to the taxpayer. Using the ESPA as a satellite structural backbone demonstrates its ability to help minimize cost and shorten satellite development schedules. The ESPA ring was originally developed by CSA Engineering as part of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, as a means to address two major problems currently facing the industry: the vibration environment of launch and the high cost of putting satellites into space. The original team for the ESPA development project included CSA Engineering, the Air Force Research Lab/Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/VS), and the DoD Space Test Program (STP).
The first on-orbit mission for ESPA was STP-1 in 2007 aboard an Atlas V lunch vehicle. The ESPA Standard Launch Service approach was used to deploy six spacecraft into two different LEO orbits. CSA Engineering is currently pursuing a number of different applications for their ESPA product line with U.S. Military and civilian customers. This includes the use of as many as to six secondary “piggyback” payloads when extra capacity exists when the primary payload uses less than 100 percent of the booster’s full capacity.
The 125 kg., 62 inch diameter x 24 inch high ESPA ring for the LCROSS mission is the primary structure for the LCROSS Shepherding Spacecraft (S-S/C) and is part of a co-manifested payload. ESPA in the LCROSS mission serves as a mounting platform or bus for the science instruments, solar array, power control electronics, batteries, attitude control and data handling/communications modules. Once the LCROSS S-S/C has directed the 2,000kg Earth Departure Upper Stage (EDUS) into the lunar surface, the S-S/C decelerates and observes the EDUS impact dust plume using several onboard instruments to look for water on the moon. The S-S/C with the integral ESPA adapter then becomes a 700kg secondary impactor by striking the lunar surface. This secondary impact will then be analyzed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and Earth based instruments.