| Passive Inspection CubeSats (PIC-A & PIC-B) | |
| Mission Type: | Technology Demonstration |
| Operator: | Brigham Young University |
| Website: | BYU Advanced Spacecraft Group https://spacecraft.byu.edu/missions/pics |
| Cospar Id: | 2021-002 |
| Spacecraft Type: | 1U CubeSat each |
| Manufacturer: | Brigham Young University |
| Dry Mass: | 1.35 kg each |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Launch Date: | UTC |
| Launch Site: | Mojave Air and Space Port, California, United States |
| Launch Contractor: | Virgin Orbit |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
| Orbit Regime: | Low Earth |
| Orbit Periapsis: | 500 km |
| Orbit Apoapsis: | 500 km |
| Orbit Inclination: | 60.69 |
| Apsis: | circular |
Passive Inspection CubeSats, or PICS, is a technology demonstration spacecraft mission utilizing two CubeSat miniaturized satellites, identified as PIC-A and PIC-B. The project was developed by students at Brigham Young University (BYU) as part of NASA's Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNA) initiative beginning in 2016.[1] [2] The satellites are outfitted with cameras to be able to get a 360-degree view to visually assess the exterior of other spacecraft and detect possible damage. BYU professor David Long termed the project a "spacecraft selfie cam."[3] [4]
PIC-A and PIC-B were originally scheduled to be launched in 2018, but launch was delayed until 2021. PICs was successfully launched into orbit along with eight other CubeSats during Virgin Orbit's Launch Demo 2 on January 17, 2021. In Virgin Orbit's first successful air-launch-to-orbit, the Boeing 747-400 Cosmic Girl carried a LauncherOne orbital rocket from Mojave Air and Space Port to the Pacific Ocean, where LauncherOne separated from the aircraft and achieved orbit.[5]