US Space Force And NASA To Launch Groundbreaking Small Satellite Experiment

The United States Space Force and NASA are on the cusp of launching a groundbreaking experiment, one that could revolutionize the way small satellites operate in very low Earth orbit. Dubbed STP-S30, the mission will see the deployment of four DiskSats, flat, disk-shaped satellites designed to test a new small-satellite architecture. Scheduled to launch on December 18 aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia, the STP-S30 mission was accelerated from its initial target of spring 2026. The launch is being conducted under the military Space Test Program, which provides access to space for experimental systems with potential military utility.

Rocket Lab was awarded a $14. 4 million contract for STP-S30 in 2024. The DiskSat was developed by the Aerospace Corp. with NASA funding as a potential alternative to the cubesat standard. Each spacecraft is roughly three feet in diameter and shaped like a flat plate, optimized to fly in a low-drag orientation through the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere. According to NASA, the disk-shaped design provides more surface area than traditional small satellites, enabling greater power generation and more room for instruments.

The configuration is intended to support a wider range of missions than is typically possible with cubes ← →