Introduction

Imagine a lightweight spacecraft that could pave the way for future interplanetary exploration, all without breaking the bank! Enter Hummingbird, a groundbreaking project proposed by Micocosm, Inc., a Hawthorne, California-based company, supported by NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant. This innovative spacecraft is designed to gather vital data about nearby planets and asteroids, setting the stage for larger, costlier missions.

The Need for Budget-Friendly Space Missions

Large-scale space endeavors often come with hefty price tags, making preliminary scouting missions essential to refine and optimize designs. Hummingbird is envisioned as a thrifty solution, focusing on propulsion while incorporating slots for radiation-hardened CubeSat components and larger interchangeable payloads, such as high-resolution telescopes.

Innovative Propulsion System

What truly sets Hummingbird apart is its impressive propulsion system, powered by a hydrazine rocket engine. With an unprecedented fuel capacity, the spacecraft is expected to weigh just 25 kg dry (without propellant) and around 80 kg fully loaded. This allows Hummingbird to achieve speeds of approximately 3.5 km/s delta-V, making it versatile enough to reach some of the solar system's most challenging destinations, including near-Earth asteroids, Mars, Venus, and beyond.

Advanced Imaging Capabilities

Once it reaches its target, the Hummingbird prototype could capture stunning images using an advanced Exelis telescope. Now under the umbrella of L3Harris Technologies, this telescope's modular nature means mission planners can adapt the payload for specific scouting missions.

CubeSat Component Integration

Beyond its propulsion capabilities, the Hummingbird bus doubles as its fuel tank, equipped with additional slots for CubeSat components designed for data collection and analysis. However, specific information regarding CubeSat operations like attitude control or communication systems remains sparse in the initial design documentation.

Changing Landscape of Space Exploration

As the landscape of space exploration has evolved significantly since the concept's introduction in 2013, one glaring omission from early discussions was the drastically lower costs of launching payloads into orbit, exemplified by vehicles like SpaceX's Falcon rockets. The increasing affordability of launch services could open new avenues for Hummingbird's development.

Future Prospects

Regrettably, the project did not receive a Phase II SBIR grant, which would have allowed for further advancements. Yet hope remains that this or a similarly promising system could soon launch into the cosmos, offering humanity its dual role as a scout for interplanetary missions and a testament to budget-friendly innovation in an era of rapidly advancing space technology.

Conclusion

Stay tuned as we keep an eye on the horizon – who knows what future discoveries await among the stars!