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Trailblazer Satellite
 We have been notified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that UNM’s Trailblazer satellite has been manifested on the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) IV Mission. The Trailblazer satellite is part of a class of nanosatellites called CubeSats. It will be delivered to space as part of the Space-X Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission to be launched in 2012. The orbit for the UNM CubeSat is a 325km circular orbit with a 51.6 degree inclination. This satellite will provide a proof-of-concept flight for an Air Force Sponsored bus design called Space Plug-and-play Architecture (SPA). The PnP type architecture is a capability that will allow for rapid development and delivery of satellite and defense systems similar to what is currently available in a home computer. UNM and its partners have taught more than 700 individuals on SPA in the past 24 months.
The Configurable Space Microsystems Innovations and Applications Center (COSMIAC) at the
University of New Mexico (UNM) is building Trailblazer. Trailblazer has two key goals. The first
is a proof-of-concept for SPA and the second is the flight of a series of space weather experiments. Both of these
have key components for advancing the missions of NASA. The first is to flight test an open
source satellite bus architecture. This has a potential to advance the ability to begin to utilize a plug and
play type of architecture for space similar to what already exists on home computers. This project will also fly a series of space weather
sensors to capture data on the environment to help in our understanding of the effects on
future satellite activities. The space weather project revolves around two experiments. The first is a dosimeter developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the second is a 3D circuit board developed by the team at the University of Texas at El Paso. The project will be built and operated
by students from the University of New Mexico (UNM). This mission will also provide an opportunity to advance the work related to the
Global Education Network for Satellite Operations (GENSO) system for distributed satellite
operations and control. UNM continues to host GENSO developers meetings and will utilize
this system for communications with the satellite.
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