RainCube, the First Spaceborne Precipitation Radar in a 6U CubeSat: From Concept to Mission

RainCube (Radar in a CubeSat) is a technology demonstration mission to enable Ka-band precipitation radar technologies on a low-cost, quick-turnaround platform. The RainCube instrument concept was conceived at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2012. Initial technology development and demonstration paved the way to a mission concept to validate two key technologies in the space environment – a miniaturized Ka-band precipitation profiling radar that occupies ~3U and a 0.5m Ka-band deployable parabolic antenna stowed within 1.5U. RainCube was selected within NASA Science Mission Directorate’s Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science 2015 In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies solicitation with the goal of raising the instrument TRL to 7. The spacecraft bus is developed by Tyvak Nanosatellite Systems, who is responsible for integration and test of the flight system and mission operations.

The integrated radar and spacecraft were delivered on time for their scheduled ISS deployment on the ELaNa-23 launch in May 2018 from Wallops Flight Facility and at the time of writing, the 6U CubeSat is in its planned orbit and well into its commissioning phase: the ultra-lightweight compact deployable Ka-band antenna was successfully deployed on July 28, 2018.

In this presentation we illustrate the results achieved by this rapid technology development, including the indirect benefits to the feasibility of instrument as well as mission concepts that may address the Clouds, Convection and Precipitation Designated Targeted Observable as defined in the 2017 Earth Science Decadal Survey.