NASA, Sidus Space Complete Autonomous Payload Technology Demonstration

NASA has completed testing the viability of integrating an autonomous systems payload on an orbiting spacecraft.

On Wednesday, the U.S. space agency announced that its Stennis Space Center and Sidus Space made a significant milestone in its Autonomous Satellite Technology for Resilient Applications payload project. The two organizations disclosed successfully establishing a telemetry link to send and receive data in the project’s command center after activating the payload. 

Developed by NASA Stennis, the ASTRA autonomous systems hardware and software payload was loaded into LizzieSat-1, a premier satellite from Sidus Space, and sent to space using SpaceX’s Transporter 10 rideshare mission, NASA said.

Under the partnership, Sidus Space supported NASA to ensure it achieved its primary goal with the mission. The contractor oversaw the whole satellite mission operations, ranging from launch to satellite activation.

Sidus Space founder and CEO Carol Craig said that the company is proud to have supported NASA in achieving ASTRA’s objectives, continuing Sidus Space’s mission of leading efforts to drive innovation and advance space technology.

The ASTRA development started in March 2023, after Sidus Space received a follow-on contract to integrate the payload into the LS1 platform.