Mission

Cosmic Wander

Mission Name

Cosmic Wander

Carrier Name

ION SCV Ultimate Hugo

Launch Date

November 2023

Launch Site

Vandenberg

Launcher

SpaceX

Rocket

Falcon 9

Mission Status

Ongoing

Passengers

18

Satellites Onboard

7

Hosted Payloads

11

Cosmic Wander, November 2023
Cosmic Wander Mission Booklet

Mission Updates

6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.

UPDATE 6

January 9th, 2024

Deployment of Crypto3

ION SCV Ultimate Hugo has successfully deployed Crypto3 into a 525km orbit. The 3U CubeSat developed by Cryptosat will serve a multitude of blockchain applications, including MPC, key management, and data security, as well as a prototype platform for edge computing in space.

Crypto3 is healthy and has already established communications with the ground.
Image: Crypto3, by CryptosatCrypto3, by Cryptosat

UPDATE 5

December 22nd, 2023

Deployment of LEMUR 2 NANAZ

ION Ultimate Hugo has successfully deployed LEMUR 2 NANAZ, a 3U CubeSat by Spire.
LEMUR 2 NANAZ, whose mission is to analyze and to investigate the usage of Ku and Ka-band spectrum across multiple applications, is functional and ready to begin its mission.
Image: LEMUR 2 NANAZ, by SpireLEMUR 2 NANAZ, by Spire

UPDATE 4

December 6th, 2023

Deployment of OSW Cazorla

ION SCV Ultimate Hugo successfully deployed OSW Cazorla, by Odyssey SpaceWorks. The payload, housing an internal imaging sensor to record and monitor experiments, will carry out tests for Tufts University and Physical Syntheses.
Image: OSW Cazorla by Odyssey SpaceworksOSW Cazorla by Odyssey Spaceworks

UPDATE 3

November 29th, 2023

Deployment of PiCo-IoT

ION SCV Ultimate Hugo deployed PiCo-IoT, consisting in nine 0,3U picosatellites by Apogeo Space. The picosatellites, released in an orbit of approximately 525km, will become part of the 100-Picosatellite constellation dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT) envisioned by Apogeo.
Deployment of PiCo-IoT

UPDATE 2

November 25th, 2023

Deployment of Intuition-1

Intuition-1, a 6U CubeSat by KP Labs, based on the AAC Clyde Space EPIC VIEW Earth observation satellite, has been deployed. The satellite, whose intended purpose is to deliver high-resolution, multi-band, hyperspectral data to be used for the agriculture sector, is healthy and ready for the next stages of its mission.
Image: Intuition-1, By AAC Clyde and KP LabsIntuition-1, By AAC Clyde and KP Labs

UPDATE 1

November 11th, 2023

Launch

Cosmic Wander, the 12th commercial mission of ION Satellite Carrier (ION), launched on November 11th, 2023, at 10:49 AM (PT) (6:49 PM UTC) aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and was successfully deployed 1h:24m after lift off into a 525km Sun-Synchronous Orbit.

During the mission, ION will deploy 11 satellites and perform 7 in-orbit demonstrations of hosted payloads.

Our mission control team is now performing a series of tests and diagnostics in preparation for the operational phase.
Image: Credits: SpaceXCredits: SpaceX

Roadmap

PHASE 1 - COMMISSIONING

As soon as ION SCV Ultimate Hugo reaches orbit, our spacecraft operations engineers will establish a bidirectional communication channel and start the launch and early orbit phase (LEOP), neutralizing the rotation imparted by the launch vehicle during separation, correcting the attitude, testing the satellites' subsystems, and preparing for the next phases.

PHASE 2 - COMMERCIAL PHASE, HOSTED PAYLOAD DEMONSTRATION

Once concluded the commissioning phase, ION SCV Ultimate Hugo will start the commercial phase of the mission, which will consist in the deployment of the hosted satellites and the in-orbit demonstration of the third-party payloads hosted onboard.

Throughout the mission, ION SCV Ultimate Hugo will deploy satellites for several clients, including Spire, Cryptosat, Apogeo Space, Odyssey SpaceWorks, and three more satellite from KP Labs, Wyvern, and a partnership between Saab and ORBCOMM, through AAC Clyde Space. The OTV will also perform in-orbit demonstration of another hosted payloads from KP Labs, as well as from Picosats and Genergo. Finally, onboard the OTV are also two 6P PocketQube satellite deployers by Alba Orbital, which will release in orbit six PocketQubes from different commercial and research entities.

In order to release the satellites into the precise operational orbital slots required by customers, ION SCV Ultimate Hugo will perform a series of complex orbital maneuvers.

PHASE 3 - DECOMMISSIONING

At the end of the mission, the platform will join the fleet of IONs already in orbit and operated by the company. At the end of its life, the spacecraft will be decommissioned in compliance with the Space Debris Mitigation guidelines. The pressure vessels will depleted from leftover fuel and oxidizer, the battery charging system will be deactivated, and the batteries will be completely discharged. The spacecraft, now inert, will enter a decommissioning trajectory that will bring it to burn up upon atmospheric re-entry within a few years.

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