NASA quietly tested the DiskSat flat-satellite design in orbit.

On December 18, 2025, NASA and The Aerospace Corporation launched four DiskSats on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket; all four were deployed and are communicating, confirming the thin, disk-shaped design functions in space.

NASA and The Aerospace Corporation placed four experimental DiskSats into orbit on December 18, 2025, in what the mission team describes as a demonstration of a new, flat spacecraft geometry. The satellites were launched on a Rocket Lab Electron vehicle and were mounted side by side in a custom dispenser designed for the disk shape. Each DiskSat is roughly one meter across and about one inch thick, a form chosen to maximize surface area for solar power while fitting efficiently in small launch vehicle fairings. NASA is treating the flight as a learning mission and is now monitoring how the spacecraft perform as they use electric propulsion and active attitude control. Key details: - Four DiskSats were launched and successfully deployed from a custom dispenser on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket. - Each DiskSat is about one inch thick and roughly one meter across, giving a large flat surface area. - The deployment sequence worked as designed and mission teams established contact with all four spacecraft. - DiskSat is designed to host many solar cells on its body and the demo can generate over 100 watts without deployable panels. - The spacecraft use active attitude control rather than passive spin stabilization and will use electric propulsion for orbit adjustment. - The dispenser was built to hold the flat satellites during launch and is described by the team as scalable. Summary: NASA describes the DiskSat flight as a first in-space demonstration of this flat geometry and is using the mission to collect operational data. The team is closely monitoring the use of electric propulsion and will proceed incrementally with orbit changes so software and attitude-control responses can be adjusted if needed. If the mission meets its objectives, DiskSat may inform future small-satellite designs that prioritize surface area and launch packing efficiency. Undetermined at this time: the long-term operational lifetime and any broader adoption timeline for the design.