Aetheris Orbis - Astraeus 1
Astraeus 1 – LR‑DM1#
Launch 01 Mar 2044 Dock 01 May 2044 (ISS) Return 30 Oct 2044
Mission Purpose – First long range discovery flight. It validates the high throughput data relay and autonomous navigation packages that will later become core components of the Erebus refueling architecture.
Primary Objectives
- Demonstrate continuous, high bandwidth telemetry between low Earth orbit and ground stations.
- Execute fully autonomous rendezvous, docking, and undocking sequences without ground based intervention.
- Collect baseline performance metrics for the relay hardware under real world radiation and thermal conditions.
Key Milestones
- T‑0: Liftoff from the Black Canyon Launch Complex (BCLC) on a reusable Aquila-X heavy lift vehicle.
- +2 mo: Successful docking with the ISS; data relay antenna array deployed and commissioned.
- +7 mo: Autonomous departure, de‑orbit burn, and safe capsule splash down in the Pacific.
Rationale & Impact – Proving the data relay and navigation stack here removes a major risk for all subsequent Astraeus and Erebus missions. With reliable, highspeed communications established, later flights can focus on payload delivery and habitat upgrades rather than basic link stability.
Astraeus Program