TopSat 1 & Others

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

06:52:25

Thursday October 27, 2005

Mission Details

TopSat 1

SSTL is developing the TopSat (Tactical Optical Satellite) enhanced microsatellite bus as a subcontractor to QinetiQ, for the UK Government. TopSat is jointly funded by the British National Space Centre (BNSC) Microsatellite Applications in Collaboration (MOSAIC) programme and the Ministry of Defence. TopSat's primary mission is to demonstrate that a microsatellite can provide responsive high-resolution imaging, with 2.5 meter-resolution images delivered directly from the satellite to ground terminals within the same footprint.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

130 kilograms

Beijing 1

SSTL has developed the China DMC+4 microsatellite, renamed Beijing 1 after launch, for the Beijing Landview Mapping Information Technology Ltd (BLMIT). The China DMC+4 enhanced microsatellite is an Earth observation spacecraft that combines SSTL's standard Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) multispectral camera with a high resolution panchromatic imager. The customised microsatellite has specific enhancements to provide accommodation for the two imagers: a 32 m multispectral imager currently flown on AlSAT-1, UK-DMC and NigeriaSat-1, plus a new 4 m panchromatic imager developed under contract to SIRA Electro-Optics Ltd. The satellite bus provides highly agile attitude control to provide accurate pointing and the knowledge necessary for the mapping requirements of the mission.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

166 kilograms

SSETI-Express

The SSETI Express (Student Space Exploration and Technology Initiative - Express) mission is an educational mission that shall deploy CUBESAT pico-satellites developed by universities, take pictures of Earth, act as a test-bed and technology demonstration for hardware of the complementary project: the European Student Earth Orbiter, and function as an radio transponder for the rest of its mission duration.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

77 kilograms

Mozhayets 5

Mozhayets 5 is an experimental satellite built partly by students at the Mozhaiskiy military academy and is carrying a laser communications experiment. Mozhaets 5 was built on a spacecraft bus donated by NPO Polyot. It was to test long distance optical and Laser communications systems. It failed to separate from the launch vehicle and controllers haven't established communications with it.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

90 kilograms

Sina 1

Sina 1 is Irans first satellite. This satellite is a 160 kg experimental payload built by Russia's Polyot, based in Omsk. The satellite is built on the Sterkh bus. Some reports indicate an imaging payload, others a communications payload.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

160 kilograms

UWE 1

UWE-1 (University of Würzburg's Experimental) satellite was used to test adaptations of internet protocols to the space environment, characterized by significant signal propagation delays due to the large distances and much higher noise levels compared to terrestrial links. Establishment of a satellite ground control.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

1 kilograms

XI 5

The code name of ISSL's CubeSat is "XI" (X-factor Investigator). This derives from its cubic shape (XI means domino in Japanese). The XI mission is on-orbit verifications of the technology necessary for super-small satellite system. Acquiring indispensable technology on spacecraft, such as communication, power and electronics, it will establish the development methodology of the small satellite. And by extensively using commercial-off-the-shell components, the total development cost will be drastically reduced and a database on the space-use of the COTS parts will be built. A number of Cubesat-XI prototypes have been built - the fourth is the first flight model with the fifth being its backup.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

1 kilograms

Ncube 2

The Norwegian Student Satellite Project Ncube (Norwegian Cubesat) aims to design, build, integrate, test and launch a small satellite in order to provide students in Norwegian educational institutions.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

1 kilograms

Rubin 5-ASOLANT

Rubin-5-ASOLANT is a technology/communications payload using the Orbcomm system; it remains intentionally attached to the rocket final stage (in fact, it is part of the adapter used to deploy the other satellites). It includes the AATiS SAFIR-S amateur transponder and the ESA ASOLANT (Advanced Solar Antenna) solar-powered GPS antenna experiment. The Mozhayets-5 failed to separate from the payload addpator and stayed connected with the upper stage and Rubin-5.

Low Earth Orbit

1 Payload

Rocket

Retired
Cosmos-3M

Active 1967 to 2010

OKB-586 logo

Manufacturer

OKB-586

Rocket

Height: 32.42m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 1,500 kg

GTO: 0 kg

Liftoff Thrust

1,486 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 2.44m

Height: 5.72m

Stages

2

Launch Site

Site 132/1

Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia

Fastest Turnaround

2 days 5 hours

Stats

Cosmos-3


469th

Mission

2nd

Mission of 2005

2005


47th

Orbital launch attempt