Our customer TDA Research has completed a second successful balloon flight using StratoStar's high-altitude balloon service with Pumpkin hardware and software.  These flights utilize Pumpkin's GUTS flight software (FSW) to provide full end-to-end TT&C as well as to capture telemetry from the entire system during the flight. A Pumpkin EPSM1  dynamically controls the flow of power into and out of a Pumpkin BM2 (outfitted with customer-supplied Li-Ion cells utilizing new battery chemistries), in order to validate charging (CHG) and discharging (DSG) performance under various environmental conditions during the flight. As part of creating this 6U test platform, Pumpkin added a low-cost (terrestrial) surplus GPS receiver to provide GNSS information in real time; since the balloon's velocity is relatively low, a standard GNSS receiver (with its COCOM velocity limit intact) can be used. All telemetry is stored locally for later retrieval, and some telemetry is broadcast during the flight in real time, subject to balloon-to-ground link bandwidth restrictions.

Pumpkin's BM2 can be adapted to any Lithium-based cell chemistry, with safety settings (OV, UV, OC, OT, UT, etc.) appropriate for the particular cell chemistry.

Images courtesy of StratoStar.

As part of ongoing research into Li-Ion battery cells that can be charged at temperatures below 0C, TDA Research has chosen Pumpkin to aid in developing new 'flavors' of Pumpkin's BM2 intelligent Li-Ion battery that incorporate 18650-size cells with new, advanced chemistries.

One way to test the performance of new cell chemistries at low temperatures is to fly them on high-altitude balloon missions. Working with TDA and TDA's chosen ride — StratoStar — Pumpkin adapted a SUPERNOVA 6U chassis to interface to the StratoStar balloon infrastructure and to provide a complete test platform for charging and discharging the BM2 during flight. This platform utilizes Pumpkin's GUTS flight software (FSW) to provide full end-to-end TT&C as well as to capture telemetry from the entire system during the flight. A Pumpkin EPSM1 was used to dynamically control the flow of power into and out of the BM2 DUT, in order to validate charging (CHG) and discharging (DSG) performance under various environmental conditions during the flight.

Pumpkin's BM2 can be adapted to any Lithium-based cell chemistry, with safety settings (OV, UV, OC, OT, UT, etc.) appropriate for the particular cell chemistry.

It's been a pleasure working with TDA and StratoStar towards this successful mission!

Images courtesy of StratoStar.

On July 23rd 2025 another pair of Pumpkin's PMDSAS Deployable Clamshell Solar Arrays (DCSAs) was successfully launched into orbit, this time on NASA's Athena EPIC spacecraft built by NovaWurks aboard a SpaceX rocket launched from Vandenberg SFB.

The DCSA family of deployable arrays packs tightly and is trivial to integrate and deploy. Over the years, NovaWurks has successfully used Pumpkin DCSAs with increasingly powerful solar arrays in various LEO missions.

Video courtesy of SpaceX.

Pumpkin's BM2 intelligent Li-Ion battery module will fly as part of one or more payloads on NASA's Artemis II mission. As part of mission assurance testing, NASA needed to know whether the BM2 would pass the MIL-Std 461 RE102 (EMI radiated emissions) test should a battery separation inhibit fail, since a failure could conceivably interfere with the mission's range safety devices. To pass the test, the BM2 would have to exhibit radiated emissions well below a prescribed limit, spanning the 200MHz to 18GHz RF range.  Testing was conducted on July 15 at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama in a large all-metal-wall EMI test room that utilizes air bladders to seal the metal doors of the room while these sensitive tests are in progress.

The BM2's RBF and Separation inhibits were removed (this simulates a Sep inhibit failure after the host spacecraft has been integrated onto the LV), and emissions were scanned from 200MHz to 1GHz and then from 1GHz to 18GHz. As can be seen from the test plot covering 200MHz to 1GHz, the BM2 easily passed this radiated emissions test, with a considerable margin to spare. This confirms that the multiple processors that make up part of the BM2 architcture (for battery safety and higher-level functions like providing telemetry in engineering units, performing cell balancing and enabling deep sleep modes) have been proven to not interfere with NASA's operational concerns. Pumpkin extends its thanks to the NASA employees and contractors who suggested, managed and performed this EMI test.

MSFC is inside of the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is just outside of the Redstone arsenal grounds, and includes both outside and inside exhibits. Also, Space Camp is located next door. Those of you reading this who are into rockets should plan on visiting the museum -- it's definitely worth a trip.

Images (C) Andrew E. Kalman and/or courtesy of NASA.

A complete Pumpkin spacecraft power system — from deployable articulated solar panels to two EPSM1s and four BM2s — is on its way past the Moon. This 200W class system powers AstroForge's Odin spacecraft that you can see here.

Sadly, AstroForge encountered a litany of problems while attempting to communicate with Odin. The sparse telemetry that they successfully received over the course of the first day after launch proved that Odin was alive at least 15 hours after its batteries would have been exhausted;  from this we infer a high probability that the solar arrays, EPS and batteries were operating nominally. AstroForge determined through other means that Odin is tumbling; the reason(s) as to why Odin's ADCS hasn't managed to stabilize it remain unclear.

AstroForge continues to attempt to communicate with Odin, but as it streaks away from Earth in an unstable orientation, that becomes increasingly difficult. AstroForge is to be commended on how transparent they have been through these early post-launch operations. Based on ground testing of Pumpkin's power systems, there's a high probability that Odin will remain powered as it continues its flight away from Earth. With some luck, an alien civilization will find it, and marvel at the systems inside, and use it to improve their own warp drives.

20250727: Update: AstroForge has posted an update that explains the architectural differences in the communications systems between the Odin mission (above) and AstroForge's next mission, called Vestri.

Ars Technica released an article today on AstroForge, the asteroid mining startup company in Seal Beach, California. Pumpkin supplied the power system (EPSM1), batteries (BM2), solar array drive assembly (DASA) and solar array (a new version of its triple-folder) for the Odin spacecraft AstroForge will use for their second mission. The Odin spacecraft passed vibe, and is now undergoing additional testing.

AstroForge needed a more power than Pumpkin's standard 135W array can deliver. The 135W solar array is a dual triple-folder, with each three-panel array independently articulated, and is designed to fit 12U spacecraft within tabbed dispensers. For Odin, Pumpkin expanded the array configuration from 2x (3x 7S3P) to 2x (2x 10S3P + 1x 8S3P) in order to raise its power and provide hard points for the PRMs that Odin uses. Pumpkin's DASA-based deployable array system has proven to be highly adaptable to different spacecraft configurations.

Pumpkin is at the 2024 Small Satellite Conference in Logan, Utah USA Monday August 5 through Thursday August 8. Come by our booth #32 in the main hall of the Taggart Student Center to discuss your small satellite needs with our experts!

Pumpkin Space -- offering a wide range of technologies and buses for small satellite customers -- is pleased to announce the successful launch, deployment and early-stage commissioning of two more SUPERNOVA buses. The U.S. Navy's Naval Information Warfare Command Pacific's (NIWC Pacific) LACE-1 and LACE-2 are 6U-size SUPERNOVA laser communications platforms that use Pumpkin avionics with flight software originally developed at the U.S Naval Research Lab (NRL). LACE-1 and LACE-2 launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 4 and are operated by NIWC Pacific.

"Pumpkin is delighted to see these two SUPERNOVA buses on-orbit and functioning well," said Dr. Andrew E. Kalman, Pumpkin's president & CTO. "An original cooperation between NIWC Pacific (then known as SPAWAR), NRL, the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and Pumpkin yielded the first SUPERNOVA buses in the 6U format. SUPERNOVA has evolved as a standardized and open bus for U.S. government customers. These buses were some of the first to utilize Pumpkin's 64W "propeller" solar array, BeagleBone-based linux OBC and BM2 intelligent Li-Ion battery."

6U SUPERNOVA bus with 4U of payload volume

Founded in 1994 and providing hardware, software and services for the smallsat community since 2000, Pumpkin provides market-leading solutions for smallsat solar arrays, power systems, batteries, OBCs, communications solutions, software, testing services and complete SUPERNOVA buses. For more information please contact <[email protected]> or see https://www.pumpkinspace.com.

Pumpkin is at the CubeSat Developer's Workshop in San Luis Obispo Tuesday through Thursday of this week. Come by our booth and see what we've been up to! Also, please check out our recent white paper on rover power systems.

A group of middle school students in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (USA) built a 2U CubeSat with help from faculty and mentors, and launched it in June of 2021. Deployed from the ISS, RamSat remained in LEO orbit until October 2022, when its final transmission was received over South Africa, prior to deorbiting.