One of the first applications of high temperature superconductivity will be in high performance microwave and millimeter wave component technology, especially in satellite communications systems. To speed the development of this technology and its introduction into spacecraft systems, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) established a program to show the feasibility of deploying high temperature superconducting electronic devices and components in space. This program is known as the High Temperature Superconductivity Space Experiment (HTSSE). This program will prove that HTS technology is sufficiently robust to survive the space environment and that it has the potential to significantly improve space communications systems. The devices for the initial launch (HTSSE-I) have been delivered to NRL, their electrical characteristics verified and their packages space qualified. These devices will be integrated with a cryogenic refrigeration system and a data acquisition system, all space qualified. Once placed in earth orbit, the experimental package will be cooled to cryogenic temperatures and the characteristics of the HTS devices monitored periodically. The HTSSE-I mission, scheduled to start in 1993, will last for at least six months. The goals and objectives of the HTSSE program will be described and a description of the first launch package and plans for future experiments (HTSSE-II) will be outlined.
