STEDI
Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative

This three-year pilot program aims to demonstrate that high-quality space science and technology missions can be carried out with small, low-cost, free-flying satellites on a time scale of two years from go-ahead to launch. As a result, the STEDI program hopes to make science in orbit readily available to universities and other "small" users for research, graduate education, and the training of entry-level professionals.

The STEDI Announcement of Opportunity (AO) was release on May 12, 1994 and 66 proposals were received in response. Six of these were selected for further study and development. In February 1995, two of these projects: TERRIERS, led by Boston University and SNOE, led by the Univ. of Colorado were chosen for fully funded flight development with a third project led by the Univ. of New Hampshire selected as an alternate. In 1996, additional funding was secured to fully fund the UNH mission.

Each of the three teams receives about $4.5M to cover design, manufacture, and a full year of science operation. Launch services, procured under the NASA Ultralite Expendable Launch Vehicle (UELV) procurement, are provided by Orbital Sciences' (OSC) Pegasus XL rocket. The STEDI spacecraft are to be dual manifested as the primary payload- OSC has the option of booking a secondary payload. Following launch to low earth orbit (550 km), the missions will collect data for up to one year. As of April 1997, TERRIERS and SNOE look to be on track for an early 1998 launch. CATSAT would likely launch about one year later.

Related QuickLook Pages:

• TERRIERS