Maneuvering and orbital Transfer Vehicle (MoTV)

Our Maneuvering and orbital Transfer Vehicle (MoTV) system is a family of small, affordable, elegantly simple, throttleable, and restartable propulsion and integrated satellite products. Our MoTV can be used as a standard propulsion module to transport a customer’s payload. The MoTV provides the change in velocity (delta-V) and maneuvering capabilities to support a wide variety of applications for on-orbit maneuvering, proximity operations, rendezvous, inspection, docking, surveillance, protection, inclination changes and orbital transfer.

Our initial MoTV was developed under grants from the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency and a government agency. We advanced the state-of-the-art of hybrid motor technology through a series of key motor developments and hot-firing tests. Full development and testing of a prototype flight unit has since been performed.

Utilizing safe, non-toxic propellant and oxidizer, the MoTV allows for both orbit change (in full hybrid mode) and for attitude control, proximity operations, and rendezvous & docking using cold gas. By virtue of its long-term storability, our MoTV hybrid motor technology can support long-term warehouse or on-orbit storage, key to enabling on-demand and quick turnaround flight systems.

For all MoTV applications, motors and delta-V can be sized and tailored for specific mission needs. The MoTV is capable of orbit transfers between most common orbits (LEO, MEO, GTO, GEO), limited only by motor size and payload mass. The MoTV is also capable of inclination changes, limited by available delta-V.

We were awarded Phase I and Phase II of a contract from the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to develop a Shuttle-compatible propulsion module. Successful completion of this project will give us additional capabilities to deliver customer payloads to their desired orbits.

Mission Classes

Our MoTVs are configured for three different mission classes. Each mission class is compatible with the constraints of one or more launch vehicles such that MoTVs can be accommodated on any of the current or future expendable or reusable launch vehicles. Custom configurations are available.

MoTV Classes

There are three size classes of MoTV, designated as -1, -2, -3:

• "-1" is up to 50 kg (MoTV-1)
• "-2" is up to 100 kg (MoTV-2)
• "-3" is up to 200 kg (MoTV-3)

The mass listed for each designation refers to the maximum, fully fueled (wet), mass of the MoTV including the customer payload. Typically the payload will be approximately half of the gross mass - the smaller the payload the greater the delta-V.

MoTV Mission Types

A SpaceDev MoTV can be configured to perform various types of missions, which are designated as basic, nominal, enhanced and Shuttle SHELS compatible.

Basic Mission

Our MoTV functions as a separable or non-separable propulsion module controlled by the payload.

Nominal Mission

Our MoTV functions as a separable or non-separable but autonomously controlled and maneuverable propulsion module for the payload.

Enhanced Mission

Our MoTV functionality has been increased in a number of areas to serve as an attached autonomously controlled propulsion and payload service module (spacecraft bus).

Shuttle SHELS Mission

Our MoTV allows payloads to be propulsively boosted to other orbits when deployed from the NASA Shuttle Hitchhiker Experimental Launch System (SHELS). No payload has ever been propulsively boosted to other orbits when deployed from SHELS, because existing propulsion technologies do not meet Shuttle safety or Air Force Space Test Program (STP) performance requirements.

Major MoTV System Elements and Subsystems

The major elements and subsystems within the MoTV system are:

• Flight Vehicle Element
• Structures and Mechanisms
• Propulsion and Attitude Control System (ACS)
• Integrated Avionics System (IAS)
• Mission Particular Kit (MPK)
• Mission Particular Software (MPS)
• Ground Support System Element
• Ground Support Equipment (GSE)
• On-Orbit Support System

Key Uses