Our Scorpius family of low-cost launch vehicles achieve low cost and responsiveness through innovative designs, scalable and low-cost technologies, and simple launch operations that allow us to launch from any austere launch site. Microcosm has matured the various enabling technologies required for its low-cost, pressure-fed Scorpius family of launch vehicles under contracts from the USAF, DARPA,
NRO and NASA. Microcosm led the way to create awareness and identify needs for "Responsive Space" that provides flexibility to meet real-time defense and commercial needs and assured, low-cost access to space. The Scorpius family of launch vehicles range from single-stage sub-orbitals to progressively larger light-lift through medium- and heavy-lift with applications ranging from sub-orbital targets to commercial, scientific, educational, and defense orbital payloads. The primary focus of Space Systems Division (SSD) is space mission architecture, mission and systems engineering, and related orbit and attitude analysis services. We work in a variety of system engineering areas, such as spacecraft navigation, attitude, and orbit control system design and performance analyses, on-board autonomy, orbit and constellation design, coverage analysis, mission utility assessment, and cost estimation. Microcosm’s experience in autonomous navigation and on-board orbit control is unsurpassed, with over 20 contracts, 4 patents, and several commercial and flight software systems
Microcosm’s mission engineering approach is codified in a series of books developed under contract to the Air Force and others. Space Mission Analysis and Design, the most widely used book in astronautics, reflects our practical experience with meeting mission objectives at minimum cost and risk. Similarly, Reducing Space Mission Cost provides a practical guidebook on how to achieve reduced cost.
