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 UoSAT-1 (UoSAT
OSCAR-9), 1981-100B.  - The first experimental microsatellite from the University of Surrey in the
UK carried research, technology demonstration and educational payloads. Launched on a Thor
Delta launcher from Vandenberg AFB, with the Solar Mesosphere Explorer on the 6th October
1981 1127 GMT into a 538 x 541km sun-synchronous LEO orbit, inclined at 97.46 degrees. It
re-entered the atmosphere on the 13th October 1989 whilst still operational. It weighed
52kg and the picture (right) shows that it was box shaped with dimensions 740 x 420 x
420mm, with a deployable gravity gradient boom.
More detail at: [SSTL][SSTL old
pages][picture #1][picture
#2][launch]
References
[1] Supplement on UoSAT-2, The Journal of the
Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers. Supplement to VOL 57 No 5
Sept/Oct 1987
Picture courtesy of SSTL
- Kosmos
1320-1327 , 1981-116A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
28th November1981 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in
order to drift apart.
- RS-3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8, 1981-120A-F
- Two experimental, and four Russian radio amateur satellites launched on the 17th
December 1981 from Plesetsk on a Cosmos launcher into 1600km orbits inclined at 83
degrees. The spacecraft weigh 40kg each.
More detail at: [AMSAT]
-
- Iskra-2,
1982-33C.
- A Russian amateur radio relay satellite ejected from the disposal hatch of the Salyut 7
on the 17th May 1982, into a 335 x 345km orbit, inclined at 51.59 degrees. It weighed 28kg
and was spherical in shape, measuring 0.6m in diameter. It transmitted telemetry only, and
re-entered on 9th July 1982.
- Kosmos
1357-1364 , 1982-040A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
6th May 1982 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in order
to drift apart.
- Kosmos
1388-1395 , 1982-073A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
21st July 1982 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in order
to drift apart.
- Iskra-3,
1982-33D
- A Russian amateur radio relay satellite ejected from the disposal hatch of the Salyut 7
on the 18th November 1982, into a 345 x 346km orbit, inclined at 51.63 degrees. It weighed
28kg and was spherical in shape, measuring 0.6m in diameter. It transmitted telemetry
only, and re-entered on 16th December 1982.
- Kosmos
1429-1436 , 1983-002A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
19th January 1983 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in
order to drift apart.
- Rohini-3 (Rohini
D-2), 1983-033A
- The third Indian national launch on the 17th April 1983 carried an Indian satellite on
an SLV-3 rocket from Sriharikota, Bengal Bay, into a 388 x 852km orbit inclined at 46.6
degrees. Rohini-3 was spherical in shape with a diameter of 0.65m. It weighed
41.5kg and
carried a two camera sensor payload with L-band beacon for conducting remote-sensing
experiments and for accurate orbit and attitude determination. Over 5000
images were returned before the spacecraft was de-activated on the 24th
September 1984. The spacecraft re-entered into the atmosphere on the 19th
April 1990.
-
- AO-10 (Phase 3B,
AMSAT OSCAR-10), 1983-58B
- A star shaped 69.5kg (40kg dry?) German AMSAT micro-satellite, launched on June the 16th
1983, alongside the European Test Satellite ECS-1 on an ARIANE 1-06 launcher into a GTO
orbit. This was then changed to a Molniya orbit using an attached booster, to support
world-wide amateur satellite communications. The satellite dimensions are 600 x 40 x
200mm. [frequency plan].
More detail at: [AMSAT]
[W4SM's unofficial AO10 page]
Picture courtesy of AMSAT
- Unnamed,
1983-063A
- A 58kg microsatellite launched on a Scout launched from the WSMC on the 27th June 1983
into a 771x837km orbit inclined at 82 degrees.
- Kosmos
1473-1480 , 1983-069A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
6th July 1983 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in order
to drift apart.
- Kosmos
1522-1529 , 1984-001A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
5th January 1984 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in
order to drift apart.
- IRT, 1984-011A
- The 91kg Integrated Rendezvous Target satellite was deployed from the space shuttle
mission STS-41B on the 5th February 1984 into a 269x279km orbit inclined at 28.4 degrees.
The target disintegrated on the 11th February.
- UoSAT-2 (UoSAT
OSCAR-11), 1984-21B.
- The second satellite from the University of Surrey (in
1985 set up as a limited company SSTL) in the UK,
UoSAT-2 carries the first operational digital Store and Forward communications payload, a
telemetry downlink at 148.825MHz 1200bps, a prototype CCD camera, and an S-band beacon
operating at 2401.5MHz. Launched on a Thor Delta launcher on the 1st March 1984 into a
98.25 degree inclined 679 x 697km orbit. It is box shaped with dimensions 580 x 360 x
360mm, and weighs 60kg. The S-band downlink beacon is typically on, but appears to have
partially failed, only delivering about half its power. By the end of 1996, it was noted
that the Y-axis magnetorquer had failed, and the redundant one in the X-axis is now being
used instead. The spacecraft is still reported operational in December 1999.
More detail at: [SSTL] [AMSAT][G3CWV's page, including telemetry
decoding software]
References
[1] Supplement on UoSAT-2, The Journal of the
Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers. Supplement to VOL 57 No 5
Sept/Oct 1987
Picture courtesy of SSTL
- Kosmos
1559-1566 , 1984-052A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
28th May 1984 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in order
to drift apart.
- UKS
(AMPTE-3),1984-088C
- UKS, a 74kg British sub-satellite of AMPTE, The Active Magnetosphere Particle Tracer
Explorer, was launched on a DELTA 3924 on the 16th August 1984 in a collaborative
program
between the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. A barium and lithium cloud was released from the
German 705kg spacecraft, and the 251kg American satellite contained instruments to study
the interaction of the cloud with the solar wind. The British satellite was placed into a
1002x113,417km orbit inclined at 26.9 degrees, and measured the effect of the cloud on the
natural plasma. UKS cost a total of UKP5m (1984).
More detail at: [NASA]
- Kosmos
1635-1642 , 1985-023A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
21st March 1985 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in
order to drift apart.
- NUSAT 1,
1985-034B
- NUSAT-1 (Northern Utah Satellite) was built by Weber State University and Utah State University students and staff at Ogden, Utah in
the U.S., and was deployed into a 318x339km orbit inclined at 57 degrees from a modified
GAS canister on the NASA Space shuttle Challenger STS-51B, on the 29th April 1985. The
54.5kg satellite measured 480mm diameter and was 18 sided cylinder. It orbited for 20
months until re-entering on the 15th December 1986 and demonstrated that satellites could
be built small, simple, and at low cost for special applications. The satellite employs
solar panels, and with this satellite, WSU and USU shared claim to the First American
University to place a satellite in Space.
More detail: [CAST]
- Transit 19 and
20 (OSCAR 30 and OSCAR 24), 1985-066A, B
- Two 55kg microsatellites launched on a SCOUT from WSMC into a 1001x1260km orbit inclined
at 89.8 degrees on the 3rd August 1985. The satellites form part of a navigation
constellation.
- GLOMR 1985-104B
 The Global Low Orbiting Message Relay
Satellite was initially carried on the STS-51B flight of 29th April 1985, in a modified
GAS canister, but failed to eject. It was finally launched on a the STS61A flight of the
Shuttle on the 26th October 1985 into a 304x332km, 57 degree inclined orbit. It is
spherically shaped (picture 1, picture
2) with 250mm diameter, weighs 68kg, and generates 2W (?) orbit average power. Two
redundant transmitters and receivers were carried, as well as redundant batteries and
battery charge regulators. Two microprocessors were flown, the first for communications,
whilst the second performed housekeeping functions. No forms of attitude control were
employed, and the satellite cost was $800k. It was developed by DSI (then CTA Space
Systems, and now OSC) and Rockwell for DARPA. The satellite was used for store and forward
communications, remote sensor readout and geolocation from the Master Ground Station at
DSI, and a Portable Access Terminal. It operated for 14 months until it re-entered the
atmosphere on the 26th December 1986.
Picture courtesy of CTA.
- OEX,
1985-109E
- A 16kg satellite deployed from the space shuttle STS61B on the 30th November 1985 as a
test target for the shuttle autopilot. It was placed into a 382x371km orbit inclined at
28.5 degrees, and decayed on the 2nd March 1987.
- Kosmos
1716-1723 , 1986-042A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
9th January 1986 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in
order to drift apart. Satellite B failed on the 27th November 1986 and satellite H failed
on the 12th September 1986.
- Kosmos
1748-1755 , 1986-042A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
6th June 1986 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in order
to drift apart. Satellites A, D and H failed on the 1st September 1986.
- Fuji-1 (FO-12,
JAS-1a), 1986-061B
- A 50kg Japanese radio amateur satellite launched on August 12th 1986 2045 GMT on the
first test flight of the H-I launcher with a Japanese experimental geodetic satellite
Ajisai (EGS) as the main payload. It is a 26-face faced polyhedron, and was launched into
a 1479 x 1497km orbit inclined at 50 degrees.
More detail: [AMSAT]
- Kosmos
1794-1801 , 1986-092A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
21st November 1986 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in
order to drift apart.
- Kosmos
1852-1859 , 1987-051A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
16th June 1987 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in order
to drift apart.
- SOOS-2 (OSCAR
27 and 29), 1987-080A,B
- Two 59kg microsatellites (Stacked Oscar On Scout) launched on a SCOUT from WSMC into a
1018x1183km orbit inclined at 90.3 degrees on the 16th September 1987. The satellites form
part of a navigation constellation for the Navy.
- Kosmos
1924-1931 , 1988-016A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
11th March 1988 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in
order to drift apart.
- SOOS-3 (OSCAR 2
spacecraft), 1988-033A,B
- Two 64kg microsatellites (Stacked Oscar On Scout) launched on a SCOUT from WSMC into a
1017x1302km orbit inclined at 90.4 degrees on the 26th April 1988. The satellites form
part of a navigation constellation for the Navy.
- SOOS-4 (OSCAR
25 and 31), 1988-074A,B
- Two 59kg microsatellites (Stacked Oscar On Scout) launched on a SCOUT from WSMC into a
1032x1177km orbit inclined at 90 degrees on the 25th August 1988. The satellites form part
of a navigation constellation for the Navy.
- Kosmos
2008-2015 , 1989-025A-H
- A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military tactical
communications constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the
24th March 1989 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in
order to drift apart.
- PION-1, 2,
1989-038C,D.
- Two passive sub-satellites designed to aid in the re-entry predictions for the primary
spacecraft Resurs F1. The 78kg spacecraft were launched on the 9th June 1989 and
placed into a 257x270km and 257x268km orbit inclined at 82.5 degrees. They decayed on the
23rd and 24th September 1989 respectively.
- PION-3, 4,
1989-055C,D.
- Two passive sub-satellites designed to aid in the re-entry predictions for the primary
spacecraft Resurs F3. The 78kg spacecraft were launched on the 7th August 1989 and
placed into a 254x272km orbit inclined at 82.5 degrees. They decayed on the 19th September
1989.
- Magion-2,
1989
- Magion 2 is a Czech 50kg satellite separated from the Intercosmos 24 satellite (launched
on a Tsyklon from Plesetsk) on the 3rd October after being launched on the 28th September
1989. Its primary mission is to help in research into the Earth's magnetosphere and
ionosphere. It measures space plasma simultaneously with Intercosmos-24.
[Magion at IKI Russia
(Russian
language pages also available)]
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