The Lunar Flashlight Systems Integration and Test (I&T) campaign began back in 2018 at JPL. I joined this team in spring 2021, and followed the spacecraft from Pasadena to Atlanta where the solar panels and propulsion system were installed. After assembling the spacecraft, we took it through a series of environmental tests prior to fueling. The steps of our I&T campaign are detailed in a new paper, published as part of this year’s Small Satellite Conference proceedings. It can be found at this link.
Abstract
Lunar Flashlight is a 6U CubeSat launching in late 2022 or early 2023 that will search for surface water ice content in permanently shadowed regions at the south pole of the Moon using infrared relative reflectance spectroscopy. The mission will act as a technology demonstration of an Advanced Spacecraft Energetic Non-Toxic (ASCENT) green propulsion system and active laser spectroscopy within the CubeSat form-factor. This paper provides an overview of the entire Systems Integration and Test campaign which took place at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Georgia Institute of Technology. From initial testing of the isolated avionics and payload subsystems to the final tests with a fully integrated spacecraft, the project’s integration and test campaign is reviewed, with a focus on lessons learned.
