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 DASH,  - The Demonstrator of Atmospheric re-entry System and Hypervelocity (DASH)
was launched on the 4th February 2002 on an H-IIA launcher from Tanegashima.
The spacecraft was built by ISAS (Japan), and weighs 70kg. It was due to be
placed into an orbit 500x35696km inclined at 28.5degrees, but failed to
deploy from the launcher and remains attached to the launcher adapter. The
spacecraft was due to demonstrate the re-entry technology for the MUSES-C
asteroid probe. The spacecraft measures 0.7x0.5m. The re-entry module
measures only 0.2m high and 0.4m in diameter. It is attached to a solid
motor for de-orbit and two smaller orbit adjust engines. More...
[MDS-1
pictures at NASDA]
 Kolibri-2000
(Kollibry-1, SRSS-1)  - The Kolibri-2000 microsatellite is an educational microsatellite mission.
It was launched from the Progress cargo freighter supply rocket to the International Space
Station, on it way back to Earth, into a 385x388km orbit inclined at 51.6
degrees. The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by the Special Design
Office of space instrument engineering, Space Research Institute of the
Russian Academy of sciences, in collaboration with local space industry. The
spacecraft mission is educational, and radio amateur frequencies are
employed to return data to participating educational institutions in Obninsk
(Russia) and Sydney (Australia). Instruments on board include a flux-gate
magnetometer, and a particle and electric field analyser. The spacecraft
measures 1250mm high with a diameter of 500mm, carries a 2m gravity gradient
boom and four deployable solar panels. It is expected top remain in orbit
for 4-6 months. More...
[Configuration drawing][Kolibri
project at RAS][Kolibri
at ARRL][Australian Kolobri
site]
References
[1] Russian science in Oz schools, CRCSS Space Industry News, issue 94, June
2002, (http://www.crcss.csiro.au/spin/spin94/spin9408.html)
- Not
named,
- The test launch of the Pioneer 1 (KT-1), a Chinese solid launch vehicle,
ended in failure in mid September 2002. A microsatellite derived from the
Tsinghua-1 spacecraft was built by Huangting Tsinghua Satellite Technology
Ltd.
- ALSAT-1, 2002-054A,
(27559)
- ALSAT-1 is the first Algerian satellite, manufactured under UKP8m (US$12m
2000) contract to SSTL
under a know-how technology transfer programme with Centre National des
Techniques Spatiales (CNTS) staff. The spacecraft was launched
on a COSMOS-3M launcher from Plesetsk Cosmodrome on the 28th November 2002.
It was placed
together with Mozhaets into a 681x744km
orbit inclined at 98.2 degrees with a 10:30am LTAN. As part of the Disaster
Monitoring Constellation (DMC),
which will eventually comprise up to 5 microsatellites, it which provide daily global access
to 32m
ground resolution multi-spectral imagery over 600km swath width. Spectral
bands are Near IR, R,G (Landsat band 2,3,4). Although all
spacecraft are individually owned, the operators stand to gain sharing the
spacecraft resources as a constellation, and under agreement with Reuters
Alertnet will provide imagery during UN-declared emergency situations.
- The platform and
instrument were developed by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd . DMC partners so
far include the Algerian and Nigerian government, and one spacecraft will be sponsored by
the British National Space Centre under the MOSAIC programme. Other reported
participants are the Chinese and Vietnamese governments, and a Thai
University. The remainder of the constellation will be launched on a series of launches COSMOS
vehicles in 2003 and 2004. The 92kg spacecraft is box shaped measuring 600mm
cube, with four body mounted GaAs solar panels. The spacecraft employs a 6m
gravity gradient boom and two reaction wheels to provide 3-axis nadir
pointing control. It carries an 8Mbps S-band downlink, and 9Gbit solid state
data recorder. It also carries a 0.1N resistojet providing over 12m/s
delta-vee using Butane propellant. A picture
shows the spacecraft in electromagnetic test facilities. The spacecraft
claims to be the first to fully use IP (internet) based protocols for its
operation and data return.
The spacecraft is operated from its primary station installed in Arzew
(Algeria), using a 3.5m S-band tracking dish antenna and mission control
centre. The spacecraft was reported operational in December 2002.
More...
[SSTL][Reuters Alertnet][BNSC
Mosaic]
References
[1] UK picks some winners for space funding, SpaceDaily, 25 July 2000, (http://www.spacer.com/news/microsat-00o.html)
[2] Algerian Microsatellite Contract for SSTL, Press release, 17 August
2000, (http://www.sstl.co.uk/news/pr_966524361.html)
[3] Surrey wins Algeria microsatellite contract, Spacedaily, 17 August 2000, (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/microsat-00t.html)
[4] Space News 18Feb2002, "Rapideye moves ahead with
Earth Observation project"
[5] Surrey Buys Multiple Cosmos Rockets For Microsat Launches, SpaceDaily,
24 Jul 2002, (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/microsat-02m.html)
[6] SSTL Readies First DMC Satellite For November Launch, SpaceDaily,
25Nov2002, (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/microsat-02o.html)
- [7] AlSAT-1 DMC satellite
working well in orbit with first use of IP, SSTL press release, 6Dec2002, (http://www.sstl.co.uk/news/pr_1039193255.html)
[8] AlSAT-1 DMC Working Well In Orbit With First Use Of IP, SpaceDaily 12
Dec 2002, (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/internet-02p.html)
Picture courtesy of SSTL
- Mozhaets
RS-20, 2002-054B, (27560)
- The Mozhaets 64kg microsatellite was launched with ALSAT-1 on a Kosmos-3M
launcher on the 28th November from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, into a 681x742km
orbit inclined at 98.2 degrees. Mozhaets was originally built as a Strela-1M
store-and-forward communications satellite by NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki, to carry out navigational and
scientific mission. These spacecraft were launched in batches of 8 from the
1970's to 1990's, and this particular one was used for many years as an display at
the Mozhaisky military academy. Students fitted new avionics and a
payload to the satellite bus. The spacecraft is reported to carry a GPS
receiver, which will be used for research into developing navigation
equipment for Glonass and Navstar navigation systems. It will also
investigate the effects of the radiation environment on its components, and
one of its experimental payloads is an Amateur
Radio telemetry beacon (RS-20). RS-20 is transmitting CW telemetry on
145.828 and 435.319 MHz.
References
[1] Russia Launches Two Satellites on Lightweight Rocket, 28 Nov 2002,
(http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/cosmos_launch_021128.html)
Picture courtesy of CST/Kosmotras/SSTL
- FedSat,
2002-056B, (27598)
- FedSat is an Australian microsatellite, weighing 50 kg and cubical in
shape with 580mm sides. The programme was first announced in the 1996
federal budget, and initiated at an expected programme 1998 with the
selection of the platform contractor, and includes a free launch as part of an intergovernmental
agreement of joint scientific research. The spacecraft was launched on the
14th December 2002 on an H-IIA launcher alongside ADEOS and two further
piggyback payloads from Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan.
- It was placed into a 793x806km orbit inclined at 98.7 degrees. The satellite was to be launched to celebrate Australia's 100 years of
Federation, and is a co-operative venture by members of the Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Co-operative Research Centre
for Satellite Systems (CRCSS), which includes several University, Government and Industry
groups.
Three of the six payloads were developed in Australia, and the platform
prime contractor was Space Innovations Ltd. (SIL, now part of SSTL) in
the UK. A magnetometer is carried to study the Earth's magnetic field, with
a magnetometer from the University of California in the US, on top of a 2.5m
boom from Stellenbosch University in South Africa. A NASA supplied
dual-frequency GPS receiver is carried with the aim to provide highly
precise position information, and aid studies into reduction of on-board
multi-path which degrades performance. The GPS receiver will be used for
ionospheric tomography through signal occultation from rising and setting
GPS satellites, and also to provide a source of timing for payloads. A
computer with in-orbit re-configurable hardware was supplied by John Hopkins
University in the US, and will be used in the investigation of various
radiation mitigation techniques. A Ka-band transponder will be employed in communication
experiments to remote regions using a custom designed groundstation, and in
conjunction with a baseband processor in further communication experiments.
The spacecraft also carries a CD with messages from the Australian public
from the year 2000. More...
[Launch accommodation picture][FedSat links 1, 2][FedSat
and related news
at CSIRO][Separation
pictures and movies at NASDA]
References
[1] AIAA/USU 1997, SSC97-III-2, "The Australian Resource
Information and Environment Satellite (ARIES) , phase A study", E.Roberts et all.
- [2] Satellite launch skips Centenary, The Australian,
S.Brook, 29Jan2001, (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/common/story_page/0,4511,1656147%255E2702,00.html).
Picture courtesy of CSIRO and NASDA
- WEOS,
2002-056C, (27599)
- The 50kg Whale Ecology Observation (WEOS) was designed by the Chiba Institute
of Technology in Japan, in order to monitor the movements and behaviour of
whales over a 1-2 years period. The spacecraft was launched on the 14th
December 2002 on an H-IIA launcher alongside ADEOS and two further piggyback
payloads from Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan. The spacecraft was placed
into a 791x805 km orbit inclined at 98.7 degrees. It will track whales fitted
with special electronic transponders that provide location, environmental
information, and various other
data points. More...
[Launch accommodation picture][Separation
pictures and movies at NASDA]
-
- µ-LabSat,
2002-056D (27600)
- The 68kg µ-LabSat spacecraft was launched on the 14th December 2002 on an H-IIA
launcher alongside ADEOS and two further piggyback payloads from Tanegashima
Space Centre in Japan. The spacecraft was placed into a 789x805 km orbit
inclined at 98.7 degrees.The spacecraft was sponsored and built by young
Japanese NASDA engineers to allow them to gain experience when they become
aerospace leaders in the future. The satellite carries several experimental
payload and spacecraft elements including a new computer, a
state-of-the-art power control system, imaging technologies, and a
off-the-shelf commercial parts.
More...
[Launch accommodation picture][Separation
pictures and movies at NASDA]
-
- LatinSat-A,
B., 2002-058B/H
- Launched as part of a group of small spacecraft on a DNEPR launcher from
Baikonur Cosmodrome on the 20th December 2002, into a 650km circular orbit
inclined at 65 degrees.
The spacecraft weigh 11.35kg each and will be used by Aprize Satellite of Argentina to test
technology for monitoring the state of both fixed and mobile goods for
the transport industry, as well as store and forward communications. Both craft have an operating lifetime of 7 to
10 years.
More...
[LatinSat][Aprize
Satellite][Picture of launch configuration]
- UniSAT-2,
2002-058D
- The second spacecraft in the series from the University of Rome in Italy
was launched on board DNEPR from
Baikonur Cosmodrome on the 20th December 2002, into a 650km circular orbit
inclined at 65 degrees. UniSat 2 weighs 11.8kg and features technology experiments,
including a sensor to detect debris impacts in
orbit, an instrument for aerosol survey, a camera, and a micro-propulsion payload.
More...
[Picture of launch configuration]
- SaudiSat-1c,
2002-058C
- A third spacecraft based on the AMSAT microsatellite cube by the Space Research
Institute in Saudi Arabia. The spacecraft was launched on board DNEPR from
Baikonur Cosmodrome on the 20th December 2002, into a 650km circular orbit
inclined at 65 degrees.
More...
[Picture of launch configuration][SaudiSat
home page]
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