Who You Gonna Call? SEOPS! Ghost Trap Makes its Debut

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As the most experienced rideshare and launch services provider, SEOPS is constantly iterating and innovating to create rapid and responsive hardware solutions for both our U.S. government and commercial clients.

Our latest innovation is our patented deployment system, Ghost Trap.

Ghost Trap improves upon Slingshot, one of our legacy deployment systems that has been in operation on the ISS, deploying multiple payloads. The deployer was originally created to slide into a small narrow hatch on the Cygnus resupply capsule for the ISS, but we're happy to bring the benefit of this proven design to the wider market. The narrow configuration required the opening to be on the longer side, similar to a breadbox. However, it ended up having a greater benefit in producing stellar vibe test results.

Ghost Trap brings the payload closer to the launch vehicle interface instead of attaching on the farthest outer surfaces of a bus, offering the “smoothest ride” for the most sensitive payloads, such as those containing sensitive optical sensors or delicate solar arrays. This new approach lessens the stress load and reduces vibrations, creating a more protected and secure environment, without the need for additional adapters or isolators. This makes it a preferred solution for our launch vehicle providers, while making integration easier and faster for our clients.

Just one of the things that makes Ghost Trap special is the configuration of the propellant and the payload. Most other solutions on the market continue to put propellant in the “sweet spot” in the middle of the bus, and relegate payloads to the extreme outside, subject to the harshest environments. This system is the product of an engineering team with more than 80 years combined experience that has successfully deployed more than 400 spacecraft to their intended orbits.

We see many more uses for Ghost Trap, especially as the United States has plans to return to the Moon. There is a wave of lunar missions planned, and many will require a smooth ride and a gentle deployment system. Space Domain Awareness (SDA) beyond LEO and GEO requires a foundation built upon lunar rideshare missions, and SEOPS is ready to help build this infrastructure with solutions such as Ghost Trap. We stand ready to deliver the sensitive payloads that can secure cislunar space for our national interests.

If you'd like to learn more about Ghost Trap or how you could use it on your next mission, let us know! Contact us at info@seops.com

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Fun Fact: Ghost Trap was so named due to its resemblance to a certain key piece of hardware from the film "Ghostbusters."