Official name SMDC ONE 2.4
Alternative name SMDC-ONE 2.4
Cospar ID 2013-072L
Norad ID 39472
Launch date 2013-12-06
Launch site AFWTR
Launch vehicle Atlas-5(501)
Country/Organization USA
Type application Communications
Operator US Army SMDC
RCS size SMALL
Decay date ON ORBIT
Period (min) 94.36
Inclination (deg) 120.49
Perigee (km) 402
Apogee (km) 573
Eccentricity 0.175384615384615
Mean motion (revs. per day) 15.2607036880034
Semi-Major axis (km) 6865.635
Raan (deg) 39.2478
Arg of perigee (deg) 347.4778
Shape Box
Mass (kg) 4
Height (m) 0.3
Width (m) 0.1
Depth (m) 0.3
Span (m^2) 0.3
Lifetime 1 year
Contractors Ducommun Miltec
Propulsion None
Configuration CubeSat (3U)
Power Solar cells, batteries

SMDC-ONE (Space Missile Defense Command - Operational Nanosatellite Effect) is a program to develop a small experimental communications satellite constellation for the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command.

The mission objectives are:

  • Demonstrate the ability to rapidly design and develop militarily relevant low cost spacecraft.
  • Receive packetized data from multiple Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS). Transmit that data to ground stations within the SMDC-ONE ground track.
  • Provide real time voice and text message data relay to and from field deployed tactical radio systems.
  • Demonstrate SMDC-ONE operational life time of 12 months or longer.

Eight satellites have been manufactured. Another one has built to a slightly modified design in a joint project with ORS (Operationally Responsive Space Office). This satellite, also known as ORSES (Operationally Responsive Space Enabler Satellite), features an SMDC-ONE satellite bus with an advanced Software Defined Radio and Type-1 encryption module.

The first SMDC-ONE nanosatellite was launched 8 December 2010, into a slightly elliptical orbit about 185 miles above the Earth. Ground stations in Huntsville, Ala., and Colorado Springs, Colo., sent messages back and forth via the satellite, demonstrating beyond-line-of-sight and overthe-horizon communications between the ground stations located more than 1,000 miles apart. Due to the very low orbit altitude, the satellite re-entered the earth?s atmosphere and disintegrated 35 days after launch, having performed exceptionally well throughout its five weeks in space. This brief space technology demonstration indicated great potential for these very small satellites.

In September 2012, two additional SMDC-ONE spacecraft were launched as auxiliary payloads on National Reconnaissance Office Launch 36 (NROL 36) aboard an ATLAS V rocket to allow for more complete testing. The two SMDC-ONE satellites launched on OUTSat were manifested as SMDC-ONE 2.1 (Able) and SMDC-ONE 2.2 (Baker). The primary mission objective for the SMDC-ONEs was to demonstrate voice and data communications through a low earth orbit satellite using military standard radios, which had never been done before. Able and Baker have both provided valuable test data since their deployment on-orbit. Able continued to provide usable data for more than one year, exceeding the expected lifetime. Baker provided valuable operations data during its first two months on-orbit, since that time it has gone radio silent.

Two final SMDC-ONE satellites, SMDC-ONE 3.1 (Charlie) and SMDC-ONE 3.2 (David) were launched in December 2013 on NRO-L39?s auxiliary payload mission termed Government Experimental Multi-Satellite, or GEMSat. These satellites were launched to continue the demonstration and evaluation of nanosatellites as game changing technologies. The mission for Charlie and David was to extend the ultra-high frequency (UHF) SATCOM experimentation and demonstration of Able and Baker. After successful initial contact and two weeks of telemetry collection, ground operations were shifted to prioritize SNaP and TacSat-6 contacts. This decision was driven by the limited resources including availability of ground operators and two operational ground stations. Contact was never re-established with Charlie and David. Charlie and David represented the last of the SMDC-ONE class spacecraft that would be launched.

The three remaining satellites were modified. One was flown with an US Air Force payload as ORSES. Two were provided in a spirit of collaboration to support Navy small satellite efforts (ICE-Cap).

The follow up program with improved capabilities is SNaP.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
SMDC ONE 2010-066C 2010-12-08 AFETR Falcon-9 v1.0 with Dragon C1, QbX 1, QbX 2, Mayflower-Caerus, Perseus 000, Perseus 001, Perseus 002, Perseus 003
SMDC ONE 1.2 2012-048B 2012-09-13 AFWTR Atlas-5(401) with Intruder 11, Intruder 12, CINEMA 1, Aeneas, SMDC-ONE 2.1, STARE A, CSSWE, CXBN, AeroCube 4A, AeroCube 4B, AeroCube 4C, CP 5, OUTSat
SMDC ONE 1.1 2012-048J 2012-09-13 AFWTR Atlas-5(401) with Intruder 11, Intruder 12, CINEMA 1, Aeneas, SMDC-ONE 2.2, STARE A, CSSWE, CXBN, AeroCube 4A, AeroCube 4B, AeroCube 4C, CP 5, OUTSat
SMDC ONE 2.4 2013-072L 2013-12-06 AFWTR Atlas-5(501) with Topaz 3, ALICE, SMDC-ONE 3.1, SNaP, TacSat 6, FIREBIRD FU1, FIREBIRD FU2, AeroCube 5A, AeroCube 5B, CUNYSAT 1, IPEX, M-Cubed/COVE 2
SMDC ONE 2.3 2013-072N 2013-12-06 AFWTR Atlas-5(501) with Topaz 3, ALICE, SMDC-ONE 3.2, SNaP, TacSat 6, FIREBIRD FU1, FIREBIRD FU2, AeroCube 5A, AeroCube 5B, CUNYSAT 1, IPEX, M-Cubed/COVE 2