Sector: In orbit demonstration

Number of satellites: 1

Form factor: 12 U

The primary objective of the EXCITE mission is to validate in orbit several innovative technologies for small satellites. EXCITE will serve as a testbed for technologies from several domains of interest for future satellite platforms: on-board propulsion (chemical: monopropellant for orbital maneuvering and electric: pulsed plasma for fine and proximity control), management of intense heat fluxes in a limited volume with pulsating heat pipes, high-performance processing on COTS platform for IoT and VDES, and compact steerable beam microwave antennas. The mission is based on a custom CubeSat 12 U platform: several critical high-performance subsystems (power generation, thermal control, structure, and deployable elements) will be entirely designed and manufactured by the EXCITE team. The mission is developed by a team that includes the University of Pisa as a leader and four Tuscan SMEs as industrial partners: Aerospazio Tecnologie, a small company in the Siena/Livorno area with a strong background in propulsion and testing; CRM Compositi, a Leghorn-based structural workshop specializing in composite materials; IngeniArs, a UniPi spin-off company dedicated to space electronics; and MBI, a Pisa-based company active in satellite telecommunications and networking. The consortium is an excellent example of a regional-scale initiative that leverages CubeSat technology for local development.

Proposing Team: Università di Pisa (Prime), Aerospazio Tecnologie, MBI, IngeniArs, CRM Compositi