|
| |
 Kosmos2125-2132
, 1991-008A-H - A group of 8, 61kg microsatellites forming part of a CIS military communications
constellation. It was launched from a Cosmos launcher from Plesetsk on the 12th February
1991 and the satellites were placed in orbits near 1400km at 74 degrees in order to drift
apart.
- CRO-AM,
1991-31D.
- The Chemical Release Observation mission for the part of the SDIO IBSS program was
launched from three Get-Away-Special canisters on the Shuttle STS-39 (Discovery) mission
on the 28th April 1991, into a 260km orbit inclined at 57 degrees. All three satellites
contained gas canisters for a one time release of various gasses into the upper atmosphere
for observation of optical, IR and RF properties, and carried booms for aerodynamic
stabilisation. Gasses included MMH and UDMH, and all satellites completed their mission. A
picture shows one of the canisters being released. The
satellites were procured by LANL from DSI, and some systems built under sub-contract by
AeroAstro for under US$1m all together. The canisters were stabilised using an aerodynamic
boom with corner reflector as tip-mass. An 1805 based computer was carried, and UHF
receiver and S-band downlink. The power system comprised a 4-fold sealed 6V lead acid
battery, charged by solar cells. All completed their mission, and decayed on the 31st of
May.
The CRO-AM spacecraft was released into a 250x270km orbit on the 3rd May 1991 and weighed
85.3kg.
- CRO-BU,
1991-31E
- The CRO-BU spacecraft was released into a 244x256km orbit on the 2nd May 1991 and
weighed 83.1kg.
- CRO-CO,
1991-31F
- The CRO-CO spacecraft was released into a 243x261km orbit on the 2nd May 1991 weighed
73.5kg.
Picture (right) courtesy of CTA.
-
- ISES/REX,
1991-045. (P89-1)
- The Integrated Space Experiments System/Radiation Experiment Satellite is a U.S. Air
force satellite launched on a SCOUT on the 29th of June 1991 from VAFB, into a 770x871km
inclined at 89.6 degrees. The satellite is octagonal in shape, with four deployed panels.
It weighs 86.26kg and studies scintillation effects of the Earth's atmosphere on RF
transmissions. The satellite was built by DSI (now CTA Space Systems), and the payload was
built by the US Air Force Rome Laboratories. The satellite employs a 6.1m gravity gradient
boom with a 2.27kg tip-mass, providing 5 degree nadir pointing. It also uses three axis
magnetorquer coils. A UHF uplink and downlink were used via a quad canted turnstile
antenna system. The satellite operated for 1.5 years.
-
 Losat-X, 1991-047B (21553).
- LOSAT-X was launched on a McDonnell Douglas Delta II 7925 on 4th July 1991, into a
416x402, 40 degree inclined orbit alongside NAVSTAR GPS-11. The microsat measured 1.2 x
0.9 x 0.3m and weighted 75kg. It was built by Ball Aerospace on a six months
start-to-launch schedule, and was based on its Quickstar bus (picture).
Its main mission was remote sensing using a a multispectral imaging package, and a wide
field-of-view star camera. It carried two 80C86 processors with a total of 32MByte of
on-board storage, and three 1Nms reaction wheels. The satellite was operated using a dedicated
groundstation at Ball Aerospace. The satellite was designed for a 3-month life time, and
the primary mission objectives were met in the first 24 hours. The secondary mission
objectives could not be met as it failed 9 days after launch due to a failure in the
command receiver. It decayed Nov 15 1991.
[1] Quickstar Rapid access to space for small scientific payloads, T.P Garrison and S.R
Schrock, International Aerospace Federation Conference, 1991.
-
-
 UoSAT-5 (OSCAR-22), 1991-050B.
- SSTL microsat launched on the second ARIANE (40) ASAP on
mission V44 on the 17th July 1991 (01:46:31 GMT) alongside three other secondary payloads
ORBCOMM-X, SARA and TUBSAT-1, and main payload the European Space Agency's ERS-1. UoSAT-5
carries a digital Store and Forward communications and Earth Imaging payload, enhanced
versions of the UoSAT-4 payloads. The spacecraft currently operates in the amateur
satellite communications service providing a research test bed for new and efficient LEO
protocols. UoSAT-5 is operated from the SSTL, Guildford, in the U.K. A picture shows the spacecraft before launch. The 48.4kg
microsatellite is box shaped with dimensions 350x350x650mm, with four solar panels on the
larger facets, and a 6m gravity gradient boom.
More detail at: [SSTL] [AMSAT]
-
-
 TUBSAT-1,
1991-050D.
- Launched on the second ARIANE (40) ASAP on mission V44 on
the 17th July 1991 (01:46:31 GMT) alongside three other secondary payloads ORBCOMM-X, SARA
and UoSAT-5, and main payload the European Space Agency's ERS-1. The 36kg satellite is box
shaped (picture, picture)
with 400mm sides. It was to test a 1.5/1.6GHz data relay system for Antarctic platforms
and tracking animal migration patterns. Although still operational, its batteries were
reported to be down to half capacity in 1993.
- [ More..., TUB]
-
-
 ORBCOMM-X
, 1991-050C.
- Launched on the second ARIANE (40) ASAP on mission V44 on
the 17th July 1991 (01:46:31 GMT) alongside three other secondary payloads UoSAT-5, SARA
and TUBSAT-1, and main payload the European Space Agency's ERS-1. The 22.1kg
microsatellite is reported to have cost $1.5m, and was abandoned after efforts to revive
it soon after launch failed. OSC, US built the satellite, and intended it to conduct
experiments for its proposed mobile system. The satellite carried a GPS receiver. (picture)
-
-
 SARA, 1991-050E.
- A French amateur built microsatellite launched on the second ARIANE (40) ASAP on mission V44 on the 17th July 1991 (01:46:31 GMT)
alongside three other secondary payloads ORBCOMM-X, UoSAT-5 and TUBSAT-1, and main payload
the European Space Agency's ERS-1. Its primary mission was to measure radio emissions of
Jupiter and its moons. The 25.7kg microsat is box (picture)
shaped with six, 10m, deployable antennas
[More...]
-
- MicroSat (SCS),
1991-051A..G (21580-21586)
- A single plane constellation of seven 22kg, DARPA sponsored microsatellites (picture). Launched by a Pegasus launcher on the 16th July 1991
into a 359x457km, 82 degree inclined orbit, rather than the much higher intended orbit of
833x833km. The arrangement of the spacecraft on the launcher is shown right, and were
built by DSI, and were also know as Small Communications Satellite (SCS). The satellites
provided bent-pipe relay for voice, data, fax and slow speed video communications, as well
as hi-fidelity secure voice and encrypted data and limited Store and Forward
communications. The spacecraft with overlapped footprints provide near continuous
communications, which would be global for three planes. The system was intended to provide
data for arcticsat, a system for communicating with nuclear submarines under the polar
cap. The lower than intended orbits caused the footprints to be separated, and in response
two options were identified, namely phasing the satellites closer, or have gaps in
coverage. Microsats 1,2,4 and 7 decayed Jan 23rd 1992, Microsat-3 and 5 on Jan 24th, and
Microsat-6 decayed Jan 25th 1992, all were still operational. The spacecraft had little
operational use due to the limited orbital time.
[More...]
Picture (right) courtesy of CTA
-
- Magion-3
(APEX) 1991-086E
- Magion-3 is a 52kg Czech satellite launched on the 18th December 1991 from a
Tsyklon launcher into a 3080x440km orbit inclined at 82.5deg. It was separated from the main
spacecraft Intercosmos 25 on the 28th December.
[Magion at IKI Russia (Russian
language pages also available)]
|
