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 Zhonghua (aka
ROCSAT), 1999-002A, 25616  - ROCSAT, (Republic Of China Satellite) was renamed Chunghua (or Zhonghua, "Formosa") in
orbit. It is the first in a series of satellites for the Taiwan Space Agency (NSPO),
developed under a US$[61m,83m] (199?) technology transfer contract awarded to TRW. The
satellite was launched into a 588x601km orbit inclined at 35 degrees with a Lockheed
Martin Athena launcher, from Florida
Spaceport on the 27th January 1999. The spacecraft weighs 410kg. Its prime mission is
space science, and hosts an oceanography low resolution camera (Ocean Color Imager OCI) in
order to study plankton distribution, Ka band communications (Experimental Communications
Payload ECP) and ionospheric measurement (Ionospheric Plasma Electrodynamics Instrument
IPEI) experiments. The spacecraft carries two deployed solar panels, and a small hydrazine
propulsion system. The spacecraft was delivered to NSPO in May 1997. More...
[ROCSAT at TRW][ROCSat at the National Space Office
Program, Taiwan][ROCSat Taiwan]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of TRW
- Globalstar M36, M23, M38 and M40 (4 satellites)
1999-004A,B,C,D (25621-4)
- With 8 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure [launch #1, #2,
#3] in 1998, the next 4 out of a total of 48+4
Globalstar satellites in the Space Systems Loral 'Big LEO' global mobile communications
network offering global real time voice, data and fax, were launched on a Soyuz-Ikar
launcher from Baikonur on the 9th February 1999. The spacecraft were separated into a
950km orbit, where they are to be boosted to an operational height of 1414km. Operational
service is planned for the third quarter of 1999. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
- WIRE,
1999-011A
- WIRE, the US$46m (1999) NASA
Wide-Field Infrared Explorer was launched on the 4th March 1999 from VAFB on a Pegasus-XL into a 539x593km orbit inclined at
97.5 degrees. The 275kg WIRE spacecraft was developed under the Small Explorer programme, with earlier missions in this
series being SWAS, TRACE and FAST. It uses a cryogenically-cooled telescope and arrays of
highly sensitive infrared detectors for the study of galaxy evolution. The telescope cover
was unexpectedly deployed shortly following deployment, and frozen hydrogen was venting
causing the spacecraft to spin at a rate of 60rpm. Efforts to regain control failed, and
an investigation by NASA found that a glitch in a control circuit, due to a design fault,
caused the cover to be blown prematurely. The spacecraft was planned for a 4 month
operational life time. It was originally expected to cost US$54m, but US$9.5m was returned
to NASA. The spacecraft attitude was regained in mid 1999 and the spacecraft was
successfully employed to measure stellar distance by measuring tiny oscillations
using
its telescope and accurate attitude control system.
[WIRE at NASA][failure report at Florida
Today]
- Globalstar M22, M41, M46, M37 (4 satellites)
1999-012A,B,C,D
- With 12 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure [launch #1, #2,
#3, #4]
in 1998 and 1999, the next 4 out of a total of 48+4 Globalstar satellites in the Space
Systems Loral 'Big LEO' global mobile communications network offering global real time
voice, data and fax, were launched on a Soyuz-Ikar launcher from Baikonur on the 15th
March 1999. The spacecraft were separated into a 952x910km orbit inclined at 52 degrees,
and will be boosted to an operational height of 1414km. Operational service is planned for
the third quarter of 1999. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
- Globalstar M19, M42, M44, M45(4 satellites), 1999-019A,B,C,D
- With 16 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure [launch #1, #2,
#3, #4,
#5] in 1998, the next 4 out of a total of 48+4
Globalstar satellites in the Space Systems Loral 'Big LEO' global mobile communications
network offering global real time voice, data and fax, were launched on a Soyuz-Ikar
launcher from Baikonur on the 15th April 1999. The spacecraft were separated into a
234x900km orbit, and will be boosted to an operational height of 1414km. Operational
service is planned for the third quarter of 1999. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
-
- UOSAT-12,
1999-022A
- UoSAT-12 is SSTL's 312kg minisatellite platform demonstrator,
launched (picture) as a primary payload from a silo at
Baikonur on a DNEPR (SS-18), on the 21st April 1999. It was placed into a 638x654km orbit
inclined at 64.55 degrees. It is an Earth Imaging and digital communications
mission, and carries collaborative payloads from Nanyang Technological University in
Singapore (MERLION Transponder), and the European Space Agency (GPS position and attitude
receiver). The spacecraft is nine-sided, measuring 1m in diameter and 800mm height. The
nine GaAs solar panels were manufactured by EEV (press release), and one of the panels caries
GaAs/Ge solar cells. Three redundant battery packs are carried with a raw voltage bus of
28V in a distributed power system. The spacecraft employs an 80186 and two 80C386
computers, image processing transputers and signal processing computers (Quad TI C31).
Data communications is via Ethernet and automotive CAN local area networks. Downlink bands
include 1Mbps S-band and 9.6kps-76.8kbps UHF (437.4MHz telemetry downlink), and uplink
bands include L-band (9600bps and 1Mbps) and VHF (9600bps). The spacecraft is three axis
stabilised employing three reaction wheels, magnetorquers, a cold gas reaction control
system, three 3-axis magnetometers, a horizon sensor, and gyros. A gravity gradient boom [image] for end-of life extension as a communications
mission when the reaction wheels finally fail.
- The satellite is reported to have successfully commissioned its GPS receiver and imaging
payload. Its computers have been used in an experiment that extends the internet to the
spacecraft, by running an IP protocol on-board.
- More...
[UoSAT-12
at SSTL][UoSAT-12 on old
SSTL pages][Resistojet
on old SSTL pages]
References
[1] The UoSAT-12 MERLION transponder, R.A.da Silva Curiel et al, AMSAT
Colloquium, Guildford, UK, 1996 (www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/CSER/UOSAT/papers/amsat96/radsc/colloquium96b.html)
- [2] UoSAT-12 for high performance Earth Observation at low
cost, M.Fouquet et al, IAF Beijing, 1996. (www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/CSER/UOSAT/papers/iaf96/minieis/minieis.html)
[3] UoSAT-12: The first flight of Surrey;s Multi-Mission minisatellite platform,
K.Clark, JBIS Vol 51 No10, Oct 1998
- [4] Surrey fires micro electric thruster, Spacedaily,
25 Oct 1999, (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/microsat-99j.html)
[5] Earth Orbit gets wired, BBC News, Tue 23rd May 2000 (news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_760000/760591.stm)
[6] BOC's gases go into orbit, BOC gases press release, 13 Jan 1999, (http://www.boc.com/news/gasnews/1-13-99.htm)
[7] UK Satellite captures lunar eclipse, 10 Jan 2001, (http://www.spacedaily.com/news/microsat-01b.html)
- Picture (right) courtesy of SSTL
-
- Abrixas, 1999-022A
- Abrixas (A Broadband Imaging X-ray All-sky Survey) is a scientific 470kg minisatellite
developed at by OHB system of Bremen and ZARM (Germany) under a DM40m contract (1996). The
X-ray telescope was build and developed by the Max Planck Institute (Germany), and
Astrophysical Institute in Potsdam. The instrument employs a CCD for an all-sky X-ray
survey in the 0.5-10keV band to 30 arc-second resolution. It was launched on a a Cosmos-3M
from Kapustin Yar on the 29th April 1999 with the Megsat-0
microsatellite. It was intended to be placed into a 544x603km 48.4 degree inclined orbit.
The Kapustin Yar launch site was reopened for this launch. Soon after launch problems were
encountered. A spare battery was included in case the spacecraft would be placed in the
wrong orbit, but it caused damage to the main battery leading to the spacecraft failure.
- More...
- [Abrixas
homepage at Astrophysics Institute Potsdam, Germany][ZARM,
University of Bremen, Germany][DLR Future
missions page]
- Shi-Jian-V, 1999-025B,
25731
- The 350kg minisatellite Shi-Jian-5 "practice-5" was launched into an 870km
sun-synchronous orbit on a Long March 4B (CZ-4B) from Taiyuan as a secondary payload with
the Fengyun-1c remote sensing mission on the 10th May 1999. It was developed by the
Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST), and built by the Shanghai Bureau of
Astronautics. The spacecraft carries 11 experiments and is to test out a variety of
attitude control methods and techniques, including 3-axis control, spin control and
gravity gradient control.
- TERRIERS
(STEDI-2), 1999-026A, 25735
- TERRIERS (Tomographic Experiment using
Radiative Recombinative Ionospheric EUV and Radio Sources) is a 121kg mini-satellite
project, and was launched (configuration, picture) into a 537x552 97.8degree sun-synchronous 9
am/9 pm on a Pegasus-XL on the 18th May 1999 with MUBLCOM.
It is one of the two NASA selected Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative (STEDI)
missions, administered by Universities Space Research Association of Columbia, MD. Other
spacecraft in this series include SNOE (1998), and CATSAT as a
backup. The satellite bus (picture)
was built by AeroAstro,
and is based on the HETE platform. The instrument package (layout drawing) is produced by the Center for
Space Physics at Boston University, the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champain (UIUC) with MIT and NRL involvement. Cleveland Heights
High School also constructed a small experiment to go on the satellite. The 0.5W downlink
beacon is at 150.4MHz and the 2W S-band downlink frequency is 2272.9 MHz. The spacecraft
is reported to have cost NASA US$6.1m(1999) and US$12.3m (1999) including the launch. It
is reported to have run into trouble maintaining its single solar panel sun pointing.
[Terriers at Boston U][Terriers]
-
 KitSat-3 (aka
Wooribyul-3), 1999-029B, 25757 - KITSAT-3, or Wooribyul-3 ('our star') is a Korean Advanced Institute of Science and
Technology (KAIST) 107kg miniatellite,
measuring 495x604x852mm. It was launched on the 26th May 1999 with TUBSAT-C and the
Oceansat1 (IRS-P4) primary payload, on a PSLV-C2 launcher from Sriharikota, under a
US$150k contract. The satellite is significantly different from the KITSAT-1 and -2 bus
(SSTL), in that it largely employs Korean developed systems. It carries a 570mm focal
length multispectral camera with 100mm aperture diameter and F/5.7 relative aperture. The
camera employs a linear CCD sensor with 3456 pixels, offering a swath width of 51.8km and
17m resolution from 870km. Spectral bands covered are: 510-620, 620-690 and 730-900nm
(Red, Green, Near IR) employing a beam splitter. The camera delivers 36.6Mbps data output.
Data storage includes 2Gbit of SRAM and 8Gbit of Flash memory. Also flown are Samsung
multi-chip memory modules (MCM), 3 RADFET monitors and Single Event Upset monitors in
memory for radiation effect on microelectronics research (REME), a particle telescope
(HEPT), a scientific magnetometer (SMAG) and an electron temperature probe (EPT). The
satellite is three axis stabilised with deployed panels delivering up to 150W (developed
by EEV, UK). It caries a GPS receiver for orbit
determination, and the Kascom computer (80960) as used on KITSAT-2. The uplink is at
148MHz, and downlinks at 401.375MHz, 2.2GHz (S-band) and compressed image data at 8GHz
(X-band) at 3.1Mbps using QPSK modulation. More...
[Launch configuration][KITSAT-3 at KAIST][KITSAT-3 at SATREC][Korean Times article]
- Globalstar (M52, M49, M25, M47), 1999-031A-D,
- With 20 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure in 1998 [launch #1, #2,
#3, #4,
#5, #6],
the next 4 out of a total of 48+4 Globalstar satellites in the Space Systems Loral 'Big
LEO' global mobile communications network offering global real time voice, data and fax,
were launched on a Boeing Delta 7420-10 launcher from Cape Canaveral on the 10th June
1999. The spacecraft were separated into a 1370km orbit, and will be boosted to an
operational height of 1414km. Operational service is planned for the third quarter of 1999
once 32 satellites are in orbit. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
-
- Globalstar (M32, M30, M35, M51),
1999-037A-D
- With 24 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure in 1998 [launch #1, #2,
#3, #4,
#5, #6,
#7], the next 4 out of a total of 48+4
Globalstar satellites in the Space Systems Loral 'Big LEO' global mobile communications
network offering global real time voice, data and fax, were launched on a Boeing
Delta-7420-10 launcher from Cape Canaveral on the 10th July 1999. The spacecraft were
separated into a 185x1367km orbit, then boosted to a 1367km orbit, and will be boosted to
an operational height of 1414km at 52 degrees. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
- Globalstar (M26, M28, M43, M48),
1999-041A-D
- With 28 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure in 1998 [launch #1, #2,
#3, #4,
#5, #6,
#7,#8],
the next 4 out of a total of 48+4 Globalstar satellites in the Space Systems Loral 'Big
LEO' global mobile communications network offering global real time voice, data and fax,
were launched on a Boeing Delta-7420-10 launcher from Cape Canaveral on the 25th July
1999. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
- Globalstar (M24, M27, M53, M54), 1999-043A-D
- With 32 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure in 1998 [launch #1, #2,
#3, #4,
#5, #6,
#7, #8,
9th], the next 4 out of a total of 48+4
Globalstar satellites in the Space Systems Loral 'Big LEO' global mobile communications
network offering global real time voice, data and fax, were launched on a Boeing
Delta-7420-10 launcher from Cape Canaveral on the 17th August 1999. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
- Globalstar (M33, M50, M55, M58), 1999-049A-D,
- With 36 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure in 1998 [launch #1, #2,
#3, #4,
#5, #6,
#7, #8,
9th, 10th],
the next 4 out of a total of 48+4 Globalstar satellites in the Space Systems Loral 'Big
LEO' global mobile communications network offering global real time voice, data and fax,
were launched on a Soyuz launcher on the 22nd September 1999. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
-
- Globalstar M31, 56, 57, 59 , 1999-058A-D, (25943/4/5/6)
- With 40 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure in 1998 [launch #1, #2,
#3, #4,
#5, #6,
#7, #8,
9th, 10th,
11th], the next 4 out of a total of 48+4
Globalstar satellites in the Space Systems Loral 'Big LEO' global mobile communications
network offering global real time voice, data and fax, were launched on a Soyuz launcher
on the 18th October 1999. Globalstar-A was placed into a 1349x1333km orbit inclined at 52
degrees. The others were left in a lower 860x1000km drift orbit. Operational service was
started on the 12th October 1999. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
-
- Globalstar M29, 34, 39, 61, 1999-062A-D (25961/2/3/4)
- With 40 satellites launched earlier and a launch failure in 1998 [launch #1, #2,
#3, #4,
#5, #6,
#7, #8,
9th, 10th,
11th], the next 4 out of a total of 48+4
Globalstar satellites in the Space Systems Loral 'Big LEO' global mobile communications
network offering global real time voice, data and fax, were launched on a Soyuz launcher
on the 18th October 1999. Globalstar-A was placed into a 1349x1333km orbit inclined at 52
degrees. The othere were left in a lower 860x1000km drift orbit. Operational service was
started on the 12th October 1999. More...
[SSHP Globalstar constellation data]
Artist impression (right) courtesy of Space Systems Loral
- KOMPSAT,
1999-070A
- KOMPSAT, a satellite for the republic of South Korea. Being was built by KARI, based on
a test model developed by TRW under a $75m, 52 month contract from the Korean Aerospace
Research Institute (KARI). The satellite was launched into LEO on a Taurus on the 21st
December 1999 into 685km sun-synchronous orbit, and weighs 470kg (510kg?). The satellite
is based on the TRW Eagle class-2 bus, measuring 1.33m diameter and 2.13m in height, and
carries two deployable solar panels delivering 630W. Communications are via S-band at
2Mbps and X-band at 45Mbps. A 2.5Gbit solid state data recorder is carried as well as a
1Gbit mass memory storage unit. The spacecraft is 3-axis stabilised with 0.1deg pointing
control. A monopropellant hydrazine engine is carried with 73kg capacity. Payloads include
low resolution CCD cameras for ocean clour measurements (developed by TRW), an ionospheric
measurement sensor, high energy particle detector. A 7m panchromatic camera was added for
an additional US$17m, to complement the 1km resolution ocean color CCD sensor. The mission
design lifetime is for three years. [KOMPSAT
at KARI][KOMPSAT at TRW].
- ACRIMSAT,
1999-070B
- The Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor Satellite is a NASA funded
microsatellite to monitor the amount of solar energy received in the 0.2-2micron band, and
was launched together with Kompsat on a Taurus launcher on the 21st December 1999 into a
683x724km orbit inclined at 98.3 degrees (10:50am). The 115kg sun pointing spacecraft (to
0.25deg) was built by ORBITAL and based on its MiniStar bus under an $8.3m contract
(1997), and carries the JPL built ACRIM sensor. The spacecraft measures 0.7x0.7m and
delivers 62W from its four deployed panels. The spacecraft carries a flight processor used
on previous missions, and uses S-band communications links. The mission was developed in 2
years and the total mission cost was US$26m, and an additional US$6m towards the launch.
The mission lifetime is 5 years.
More...
[report in The Earth
Observer, Jan/Feb95 Vol7 No1, "Science Rationale for an EOS/ACRIMSAT" Mission][ACRIMSAT at JPL]
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