Deep Space

TOGETHER FOR SUCCESSFULL EXPLORATION

LICIACube

REAL-TIME TARGET IDENTIFICATION AND TRACKING THROUGH EDGE COMPUTING

AUTONOMOUS ATTITUDE CONTROL AND NAVIGATION SYSTEMS

SMALLSAT TECHNOLOGY FOR DEEP SPACE

AIAA MISSION OF THE YEAR 2023

LICIACube

LICIACube is a microsatellite designed, built, and operated by Argotec, part of NASA's DART mission, the first planetary defense mission in history. The satellite was funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

LICIACube captured over 600 images of the impact between the DART probe and the asteroid Dimorphos from a distance of 11 million kilometers from Earth. This was achieved at an incredible speed of 7 km/sec.

One of the extraordinary aspects of this satellite is the implementation of a sophisticated autonomously navigation model that allowed it to carry out the mission completely autonomously, identifying the target, tracking it, and maintaining the optimal attitude for photo acquisition. It also performed, entirely autonomously, an escape maneuver to avoid the debris emitted after the impact.

Thanks to the images
taken by LICIACube

two articles of outstanding scientific significance have been published in the prestigious journal Nature. Argotec is proud to contribute to the advancement of space exploration and scientific knowledge through this mission.

ARTICLE 26 MAY 2023 ARTICLE 28 FEB 2024

MLN KM

MAXIMUM DISTANCE
FROM EARTH

MIN

Duration of the Fly-By

.94 KM

MINIMUM DISTANCE
FROM THE TARGET

.145 KM/S

Fly-By