A slot on the SSMS dispenser, which carries any combination from 1 kg CubeSats to 400 kg minisatellites.
SSMS Rideshare Slot
A slot on the SSMS dispenser, which carries any combination from 1 kg CubeSats to 400 kg minisatellites.
Description
The Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) is the modular dispenser that turns a Vega or Vega-C flight into a rideshare mission. Its modular design accepts practically any combination of passengers, from 1 kg CubeSats up to minisatellites of about 400 kg, arranged around a central column and on separate decks.
SAB Launch Services sells slots on SSMS missions and takes the passenger through the whole process: mechanical and electrical interface definition, provision of the deployment hardware, integration of the spacecraft into the dispenser, shipment to the launch site, launch campaign support and post-flight services. The dispenser itself was designed and manufactured for ESA by SAB Aerospace, the group the company belongs to.
A rideshare slot is the usual route to orbit for a CubeSat or microsatellite operator who does not need a dedicated flight.
Specifications
| Accommodation | SSMS modular dispenser |
|---|---|
| Passenger range | 1 kg CubeSats to approx. 400 kg minisatellites |
| Compatible vehicles | Vega, Vega-C |
| Typical orbits | SSO and low Earth orbit |
| Dispenser manufacturer | SAB Aerospace, for ESA |
| Integration | SAB facility in Brno, then Kourou |
| Mass range | 400 – 200 kg |
| Interface with the LV | MLB 24’’ |
