Swarm

The SSETI Swarm mission, which will begin Phase A in Fall 2008, is the fourth satellite project involving the SSETI Association, and the first independent SSETI Association project. Swarm will be designed, built, and tested by a network of SSETI students and young professionals, and will consist of a nanosatellite (M-SAT) that will release several femtosatellites (F-SATs) into low Earth orbit. The objectives of SWARM are:

• To demonstrate the possibility for students and young professionals to design, build, launch, and operate a micro‑satellite in LEO using modern communication tools.
• To establish communication between the ground and mother satellite (M‑SAT).
• To successfully release at least one femto‑satellite (F‑SAT) and establish communication between the F‑SAT and the M‑SAT.
• To have an experiment (scientific or technological) on each F-SAT.
• To transfer experimental data from the F‑SAT to the ground through M‑SAT.
• To guarantee the complete destruction of the M‑SAT and all F‑SATs by re‑entering the Earth’s atmosphere.