NASA quietly designed, built, and successfully launched an entirely new type of spacecraft, and most people haven’t heard of it.
On December 18, 2025, NASA and The Aerospace Corporation placed four experimental satellites called DiskSats in orbit. This was not a routine launch of a small satellite. It was the first successful demonstration of an entirely new spacecraft design, abandoning the box-shaped designs that dominated small satellites for decades in favor of a thin, flat disk-like shape.
Until this launch, DiskSat existed only as a concept and field-tested hardware with a completely different geometry (hence the name). With all four test spacecraft now deployed and communicating from orbit, NASA has confirmed that the design works in the space environment.
After the launch, I spoke with members of NASA and The Aerospace Corporation’s DiskSat demonstration mission team, who provided detailed answers explaining why the agency pursued this design, what problems it is intended to solve, and why this mission could quietly influence how future satellite constellations are built.
“DiskSat is not intended to replace CubeSat. Rather, it is intended to add tools to the toolbox available to mission designers.”
How NASA successfully deployed four flat satellites into orbit
The DiskSat demonstration mission launched aboard a Rocket Lab electronic rocketthe small satellite launcher that NASA used to deploy the four DiskSats into orbit.
The four spacecraft were mounted side by side inside a custom-made dispenser, arranged flat more like discs than traditional box-shaped satellites. After separating from the booster stage and clearing the payload fairing (think rocket nose opening to expose the satellites to space), each DiskSat was individually launched into orbit.
Rocket Lab is a commercial launch provider that puts small satellites into orbit using its Electron rocket, which NASA often uses for technology demonstration missions.
According to information provided by the mission team to ScreenRantthe deployment sequence proceeded as planned and contact was successfully established with all four satellites.
This was important because DiskSat adds complexity after launch. As the mission team explained in their written responses, “Designing a dispenser that could safely hold DiskSats during launch and deploy them was complex, but following its successful deployment, the technical teams are satisfied with its performance.”
This deployment system is at the heart of the DiskSat concept, which aims to deploy multiple satellites at once and reduce the number of launches needed to build constellations.
As also noted by the mission team, “The current demonstration dispenser was designed to be scalable. »
Why NASA designed DiskSat as an inch-thick satellite
One of the most visually striking aspects of DiskSat is its thickness, or lack thereof. Each spaceship is only an inch thick, an extreme design choice that seems almost unbelievable at first glance.
Each DiskSat is also about a meter in diameter, giving it a wide, flat profile that looks more like a large coin than a traditional box-shaped satellite.
Members of NASA’s DiskSat engineering team tell me that the slim profile was driven by launch economics and the goal of rapidly deploying satellite constellations using small launch vehicles.
“The concept of DiskSat grew out of the need for a low-cost launch to rapidly proliferate a constellation of satellites using small, dedicated satellite launch vehicles. The thinness of the demonstration satellite design allows us to maximize the number of satellites that can fit into a launch payload fairing.”
Structural considerations also played a role. The demonstration satellites had to be thin enough to pack efficiently while being strong enough to survive launch loads and operate reliably in orbit.
The flat geometry also changes the behavior of DiskSat once in space. When edge-oriented, the spacecraft exhibits a lower drag profile, allowing sustained operations at very low Earth orbit altitudes, where atmospheric drag would normally reduce mission life.
DiskSat also does not rely on rotation for stability. It uses active attitude control systems to maintain its orientation, and during the demonstration mission, NASA closely monitors the operation of these systems as the spacecraft begins to use its electric propulsion thruster (a low-thrust engine used to slowly change orbit) to adjust its path around the Earth.
DiskSat vs CubeSats: Why NASA Built a New Satellite Design for High-Power Missions
NASA stressed that DiskSat is not intended to replace traditional CubeSats, which remain widely used in scientific, commercial and educational missions.
CubeSats are small, standardized satellites built from cube-shaped modular units, widely used by NASA, universities and private companies for low-cost space missions.
Instead, DiskSat is intended to address specific limitations of CubeSat-based designs, particularly when missions require large areas for power generation. CubeSats often rely on deployable solar panels to meet power needs, which adds mechanical complexity and introduces common failure points.
“One of the biggest technical challenges for CubeSats is achieving large deployed areas for payloads. DiskSat helps address this challenge by providing a large deployed area without the need for deployment mechanisms or deployment systems, which improves the manufacturability and reliability of the spacecraft.”
By extending the surface area outwards rather than stacking the volume vertically, DiskSat can accommodate a large number of solar cells directly on its body. Despite having a mass similar to that of a 6U to 12U CubeSat, a DiskSat offers more than 13 times the surface area on a single side.
As a result, the DiskSats on the demonstration mission are capable of generating substantial power without deploying panels or mobile structures.
“This DiskSat demonstration mission can generate more than 100 watts of solar power without deploying any structures or solar wings.”
Eliminating deployable systems reduces mechanical complexity and removes one of the most common points of failure in small satellite missions.
What’s next for NASA’s DiskSat demonstration mission
Because it is the first time a spacecraft with this geometry has flown, NASA views the DiskSat demonstration mission as a learning opportunity.
As the mission team explained in their written responses, “This is the first time we have tested the geometry of this spacecraft and its dispenser in the space environment.”
Once the deployment is complete, the focus now shifts to the spacecraft’s performance over time. According to the team, “The next closely watched complex element is the use of the electric propulsion thruster to achieve very low Earth orbit.”
Rather than making aggressive orbital changes, NASA is taking a cautious, step-by-step approach.
As the mission team noted, “The DiskSat team plans to proceed gradually during orbit changes so that adjustments can be made to the software as necessary for attitude control and thruster management.”
If the mission achieves its goals, DiskSat could enable a new class of small spacecraft that prioritizes simplicity, power, and launch efficiency over traditional volume-based designs.
As NASA prepares for high-profile missions like Artemis IIwhich will send astronauts around the Moon, smaller technology demonstrations like DiskSat can easily happen with little public attention.
For now, perhaps the most striking aspect of the mission is the silence with which it took place. NASA didn’t just test a new satellite. It successfully launched a new idea of what a satellite can be.
DiskSat demonstration mission experts consulted for this article include:
- Catherine Venturini, principal investigator of the DiskSat demonstration mission
- Darren Rowen, chief engineer of the DiskSat demonstration mission
- Eric Breckheimer, DiskSat demonstration mission program manager
- Roger Hunter, Program Manager, NASA Small Spacecraft Technology Program
