Press release

Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere

National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Jul 21, 2026

Space Technology & Exploration Research Data & Programs

1 min read

Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere

Loura Hall

Jul 21, 2026

Article

Graphic depiction of the Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations concept.

Michael Rubenstein

Michael Rubenstein Northwestern University, Chicago

We propose a mission to use ~10,000 actively steerable femtosats to map the ring composition, atmospheric composition and density, and the magnetic field distribution of Saturn. Conducting in-situ surveys of Saturn’s rings with a single flagship mission, such as Cassini, would carry an unacceptably high risk of mission failure due to particle collisions. However, the distributed nature of the proposed mission means it can accept a risk that could destroy many of femtosats in the constellation, making in-situ survey of the ring possible.

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