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SHI-JIAN-IV, 1994-010A

Shi-Jian-IV (experiment-4) is a Chinese Scientific satellite launched on a CSL-3a (Long March-IIIa) from Xichang into a 210x36125km orbit inclined at 28.6 degrees, on the 8th Feb. 1994. The satellite mission was to detect space environment and its effects. The satellite was built by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and weighs 396kg with 1.6m diameter and 2.1m high. The main payloads are: Semi-conductor high energetic electrons detector, Semi-conductor high energetic protons, heavy ions detector, Electrostatic analyser, Electric potential meter, Static Single Events Upset monitor, and Dynamic Single Events Upset monitor.
[picture]
Picture courtesy of CAST.

 

STEP-0 TAOS, 1994-017A.

The Space Test Experiment Platform - Technology for Autonomous Operational Survivability (TAOS) mini-satellite weights 476kg and was launched into a 537x555km 105 degree inclined circular orbit from a TAURUS launcher on the 13th March 1994 alongside DARPASAT. It was built by TRW Inc. The primary mission is to evaluate two autonomous navigation systems for future Department of Defence spacecraft, and also includes a high speed computer, and laser and radar attack sensors intended to demonstrate reduced dependency on ground systems. It was still reported operational  in 1998. (artist impression)(picture) [More...] [STEP-0 at TRW]
Pictures courtesy of TRW.

 

DARPASAT, 1994-017B.

DARPASAT was built by Ball aerospace, and sponsored by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Philips Laboratories. It was the only satellite program under the DARPA "lightsat initiative". It was launched on the 13th March 1994 alongside STEP/TAOS on a TAURUS launcher into a 550km circular orbit inclined at 105 degrees. The 204kg satellite is box shaped, and carries a GPS receiver, and has 2Mbit of on board data storage for housekeeping functions (Payload data is downlinked direct). The satellite is inertially locked. It generates up to 200W.hr/day. Its primary mission is classified. It is reported to be operational after 22 months in orbit and exceeding its performance requirements.

[picture courtesy of Ball Aerospace] 

 

SROSS C2, 1994-027A

A 113 kg Indian minisatellite , was launched by a ASLV-D4 test booster from Sriharikota station at 00:00 UT on the 4th May 1994 into a 433x917km, 46.0 degree inclined orbit. It carried a Retarding Potential Analyser (RPA) for measuring ionospheric plasma and a Gamma ray detector. The satellite replaced the May 92 launched SROSS-C which ended up in the wrong orbit. The satellite was designed for a 4 year lifetime.

 

MSTI-2, 1994-028A.

MSTI-2, the second Miniature Sensor Technology Integration (MSTI) was launched on the 9th May 1994 on the last of the now discontinued SCOUT launcher from Vandenberg AFB into a 367x469km orbit inclined at 96.8deg. The 117kg U.S. BMDO minisat is designed by to detect and track missile launches using SW IR and MWIR imagers. The data handling system was based on a rad hard 8086 processor, and a 1GByte hard-disk based data recorder was flown (Erasable Disk Mass Memory Unit EDMM). and is reported to have successfully spotted and locked onto a Minuteman III ICBM launched from Edwards AFB on the 8th June 1994. It was built by Spectrum Astro Inc and launched 16 months after contract. It decayed from orbit on the 28th October 1998 having returned over 1.2 million images.
[picture 1, 2, 3, 4]

STEP-2, (P91-2), 1994-029A

Launched on the 19th May 1994 on a Pegasus launcher. [More...][STEP-2 at TRW]

STEP-1, (P90-1).

Launched on the 27th June 1994 on the first Pegasus-XL launcher from the L1011 aeroplane. The 318kg mini-satellite was to be placed into a 192x1518km orbit inclined at 90 degrees. The spacecraft carried several technology demonstration experiments.
[More...][STEP-1 at TRW]

APEX, 1994-046A (P90-6).

The Advanced Photovoltaic and Electronic Experiments (APEX) satellite was launched into an elliptical 368 x 2555km orbit inclined at 70 deg. on a Pegasus launcher on the 3rd August 1994. It is built by Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles in the U.S., based on the PegStar bus, and weighs 261.5kg. It will test 12 solar cell samples and power system technology in the harsh radiation environment of this orbit. The spacecraft employs long hinged solar panels with paraffin actuators for deployment. A NiH battery is carried. A picture shows it under construction, and a second picture shows it mounted on the Pegasus launcher. More...
[APEX mission unofficial site]

Cosmos 2299-2304

A multiple launch of an Tsyklon from Plesetsk Cosmodrome on the 26th December 1994 put six spacecraft into a 1415km orbit inclined at 82.6 degrees, The spacecraft form part of the military constellation for the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense (MO RF). The spacecraft use the STRELA-3 bus, weigh 231kg each and are designed for a five year lifetime by NPO Applied Mechanics (NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki of Krasnoyarsk, Russia) for SMOLSAT (Russia). The spacecraft wil provide military services of data transfer and photo reconnoissance.