ReCon
Current work on satellite constellation reconfiguration aims to improve the ability of constellations to survey certain areas of the Earth with desirable revisit rates. The project is primarily focused on two topic areas:
Topic A1:
Topic A1 seeks to conduct an analysis of hybrid propulsion systems on 12U or smaller CubeSats. This topic consists of an analysis of late-stage development or COTS propulsion systems for CubeSats, as well as a multidisciplinary design optimization of custom hybrid propulsion systems on CubeSats. Topic A1 supports the ReCon concept by investigating optimal designs for hybrid chemical and electric propulsion systems for CubeSats; so that orbital maneuvers that benefit from being fast can utilize the chemical propulsion system, while orbital maneuvers that benefit from being propulsion-efficient can utilize the electric propulsion system, increasing the lifetime of the satellite while not sacrificing maneuver speed or efficiency.
Topic A2:
Topic A2 focuses on developing a physical demonstration of ReCon thruster use on a CubeSat. In particular, a hardware-in-the-loop simulation is in development utilizing a PDK supplied by The Aerospace Corporation, which includes a standardized power/data interface. Topic A2 supports the ReCon concept by developing simulations useful for testing capabilities of constellations with given satellite and orbit parameters, as well as developing the software foundation for control of CubeSat thrusters in flight missions utilizing ReCon technology.
MIT–Aerospace Collaboration
MIT and The Aerospace Corporation began collaborating on the ReCon concept in early 2019. An interdisiplinary team from MIT and The Aerospace Corporation are currently working together on developing the concept and building demo technology.
See the Aerospace Corporation article here: [https://aerospace.org/article/constellation-reconfiguration]