TUCSON, Ariz. - Ascending Node Technologies (ANT) in Tucson, Ariz. has announced the commercial availability of its Spaceline 3D mission visualization software, which is currently used for continuous flight planning simulations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) $20 million Aspera small-sat UV astrophysics mission. The mission aims to explore nearby galaxies from low Earth orbit starting in 2026.
Spaceline is a web-based suite of data analysis and visualization tools designed to help mission teams collaborate in real-time throughout all mission phases. Spaceline automates and streamlines many manual calculations and processes, boosting operational accuracy, efficiency, and productivity for multi-million-dollar missions.
Authorized users can access Spaceline on laptops or cell phones to share, dissect, and review precision data-based simulations with ultra-high-resolution renderings that update with changing mission conditions. The platform allows teams to see their actual flight path during planning to pinpoint optimal trajectories and data collection windows. It also enables operators to identify landmark objects their spacecraft cameras will observe during both simulated and actual mission phases. Detailed preparation and flight data are captured by secure Spaceline servers, providing critical on-the-fly results.
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“Our University of Arizona space team is thrilled to be working with Ascending Node Technologies and leading NASA’s Aspera astrophysics mission that seeks to solve the mysteries surrounding how galaxies evolve and obtain fuel for the formation of stars. Spaceline is a mission-critical tool that’s enabling us to simulate, collaborate, and walk through multiple precision iterations of the operation years before we launch,” said Carlos Vargas, University of Arizona astronomer, and Aspera Mission Principal Investigator.
Spaceline was developed from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample collection mission, which traveled to the near-Earth asteroid Bennu to retrieve rock and dust samples. By the time asteroid samples were delivered to Earth in 2023, OSIRIS-REx engineers and scientists had founded Ascending Node Technologies, aiming to revolutionize the space industry’s data processing practices. The development of Spaceline has been funded by multiple NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts.
The team of Chief Software Architect Sanford Selznick, Chief Scientist Carl Hergenrother, and Chief Aerospace Engineer John Kidd, formed during the OSIRIS-REx mission, has over half a century of combined space industry experience. The University of Arizona played an important role in the OSIRIS-REx mission and has helped foster several new space companies, including Ascending Node Technologies.
