Realizing Rapid Reduced-cost high Risk Research (R5)

Realizing Rapid Reduced-cost high Risk Research (R5) is a NASA initiative that involves a series of CubeSat technology demonstration missions. These missions aim to rapidly and affordably showcase various technology prototypes in low Earth orbit (LEO). The ultimate goal is to enable technology adoption by end users, including NASA, while pioneering new approaches to spacecraft design and operation.

This reduces development-to-launch timelines and costs by a factor of 10. The spacecraft series follows an incremental development strategy, with each spacecraft featuring enhanced performance compared to its predecessor. The R5 program employs a minimal viable product approach, building the simplest spacecraft necessary to deliver the intended functionality.

This approach allows for rapid iteration, reducing cost and schedule while improving capability over time. Utilizing commercial off-the-shelf hardware, streamlined processes, and collocation of the team, the R5 project is managed and funded by NASA's Small Spacecraft & Distributed (SSDS) within the Research and Technology Mission Directorate (RTMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington.