Planetary Resources Deploys A3R Spacecraft for 90-day Mission

Planetary Resources Inc. announced Friday that it has deployed its Arkyd 3 Reflight (A3R) spacecraft from the International Space Station’s Kibo airlock. A3R will now go on a 90-day mission.
Further details are as follows:

The demonstration vehicle will validate several core technologies including the avionics, control systems and software, which the company will incorporate into future spacecraft that will venture into the Solar System and prospect for resource-rich near-Earth asteroids.
Once the A3R completes its mission, the validated and evolved technologies will be the main components of the Arkyd series of deep-space asteroid-prospecting spacecraft. The next demonstrator, the Arkyd-6 (A6), is scheduled to launch later this year and will test the next generation of attitude control, power, communication and avionics systems and also add sensors for detection and characterization of resources.

Chris Lewicki, Planetary Resources’ president and chief engineer, commented:

Our philosophy is to test often, and if possible, to test in space.  The A3R is the most sophisticated, yet cost-effective, test demonstration spacecraft ever built.  We are innovating on every level from design to launch. By vertically integrating the system at our facility in Redmond, we are in constant control of every component, including the ones we purchase off the shelf and the others that we manufacture using 3D printers.

Peter H. Diamandis, MD, co-founder and co-chairman of Planetary Resources, said:

The successful deployment of the A3R is a significant milestone for Planetary Resources as we forge a path toward prospecting resource-rich asteroids. Our team is developing the technology that will enable humanity to create an off-planet economy that will fundamentally change the way we live on Earth.

Click here to read the full Planetary Resources Inc. press release.