SpacecraftOtherEnded
Arkyd-3 Reflight (A3R)
Planetary Resources technology-demonstration small satellite launched to the International Space Station on SpaceX CRS-6 on 14 April 2015 and deployed from the Kibo airlock on 16 July 2015 for a planned 90-day mission validating avionics, control systems and software for future asteroid-prospecting spacecraft. It replaced the first Arkyd-3, which was lost in the October 2014 Antares launch failure; it carried no resource-detection instrument, and no operator post-mission results statement was located.
Objective. Validate avionics, control systems and software for future asteroid-prospecting spacecraft (operator statement).
No level assigned
Facts
- Kind
- Spacecraft
- Mission type
- Technology demonstration
- Target
- OtherLow Earth orbit (deployed from the ISS)
- Launch
- 2015-04-14
- Launch vehicle
- Falcon 9 (SpaceX CRS-6)
- Phase
- EndedOperator stated a 90-day mission ending in atmospheric re-entry by orbital decay; phase 'ended' is inferred from that plan, not from an operator end-of-mission statement.
- Outcome
- UnknownBasis: inferred by this dataset
- Why it is included
- Stated resource objective
Participants
Operators, payload owners, carriers and customers are recorded separately.
| Organization | Role |
|---|---|
| Planetary Resources | Operator |
| SpaceX | Launch provider |
Open evidence gaps
- Operator post-mission results statement.
- Re-entry date from a primary tracking source.
- The original Arkyd-3 (lost on Antares/Orb-3, 28 Oct 2014) has no separate record.
Sources
4 sourcesdeployed successfully from the International Space Station's (ISS) Kibo airlock and has begun its 90-day mission
The demonstration vehicle will validate several core technologies including the avionics, control systems and software
A3R will also complete the mission of the first Arkyd 3 that we lost last year in the Antares explosion
The Arkyd 3 Reflight (A3R) technology demonstration spacecraft is on board the SpaceX Falcon 9 that is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) as a part of the CRS-6 crew resupply mission.