Mission type | Communications AIS tracking |
---|---|
Operator | LuxSpace Orbcomm (leased) |
COSPAR ID | 2011-058C |
SATCAT no. | 37840 |
Mission duration | 3 years planned; 4 years achieved |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | LuxSpace |
Launch mass | 29 kilograms (64 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | October 12, 2011, 05:31[1] | UTC
Rocket | PSLV-CA |
Launch site | Satish Dhawan FLP |
Contractor | ISRO |
End of mission | |
Last contact | End of 2015[2] |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Sun-synchronous |
Perigee altitude | 853 kilometers (530 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 873 kilometers (542 mi) |
Inclination | 19.96 degrees |
Period | 102.07 minutes |
Epoch | July 4, 2014, 06:26:37 UTC[3] |
VesselSat-1 (Orbcomm FM42, V1) was a miniaturized satellite built and owned by LuxSpace, which was operated by Orbcomm under lease. VesselSat-1 and its sister satellite, VesselSat-2 were used by Orbcomm to compensate the functionality of the malfunctioning Orbcomm-QL satellites.
Launch
It was launched from the ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in October 2011 atop a PSLV-CA rocket, flight C18. The launch was a multi-payload mission along with Megha-Tropiques, SRMSAT and Jugnu.
Spacecraft
Vesselsat was the first satellite to be built in Luxembourg. It had a mass of 29 kg (64 lb) and had the form of a cube 30 centimeters (0.98 ft) along each side. Its mission was the tracking of shipping by receiving broadcasts from their Automatic Identification System (AIS).
See also
References
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
- ^ "VesselSat 1, 2, 3".
- ^ "VESSELSAT 1 Satellite details 2011-058C NORAD 37840". N2YO. July 4, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2014.
External links