The Earth Sciences Decadal Survey identifies a multiangle, multispectral, high-accuracy polarization imager as one requirement for the Aerosol-Cloud-Ecosystem (ACE) mission. JPL has been developing a Multiangle SpectroPolarimetric Imager (MSPI) as a candidate to fill this need. A key technology development needed for MSPI is on-board signal processing to calculate polarimetry data as imaged by each of the 9 cameras forming the instrument. With funding from NASA's Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) Program, JPL is solving the real-time data processing requirements to demonstrate, for the first time, how signal data at 95 Mbytes/sec over 16-channels for each of the 9 multiangle cameras in the spaceborne instrument can be reduced on-board to 0.45 Mbytes/sec. This will produce the intensity and polarization data needed to characterize aerosol and cloud microphysical properties. Using the Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA platform, a polarimetric processing least-squares fitting algorithm is under development to meet MSPI's on-board processing (OBP) requirements. The Virtex-5 FPGA is not yet space-flight qualified; however, an in-flight validation of this technology on a pre-cursor CubeSat mission is valuable toward advancing the technology readiness level for MSPI and the ACE mission.

Interplanetary CubeSats could enable small, low-cost missions beyond low Earth orbit.This class is defined by mass <~ 10 kg, cost < $30 M, and durations up to 5 years. Over the coming decade, a stretch of each of six distinct technology areas, creating one overarching architecture, could enable comparatively low-cost Solar System exploration missions with capabilities far beyond those demonstrated in small satellites to date. The six technology areas are: 1) CubeSat electronics and subsystems extended to operate in the interplanetary environment, especially radiation and duration of operation; 2) Optical telecommunications to enable very small, low-power uplink/downlink over interplanetary distances; 3) Solar sail propulsion to enable high ΔV maneuvering using no propellant; 4) Navigation of the Interplanetary Superhighway to enable multiple destinations over reasonable mission durations using achievable ΔV; 5) Small, highly capable instrumentation enabling acquisition of high-quality scientific and exploration information; and 6) Onboard storage and processing of raw instrument data and navigation information to enable maximum utility of uplink and downlink telecom capacity, and minimal operations staffing. The NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program in 2011 selected Interplanetary CubeSats for further investigation, some results of which are reported here for Phase 1.

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