| Spacecraft name | AeroCube-3 |
|---|---|
| Type | CubeSat |
| Units or mass | 1U |
| Mass in kg | 1084.4 g |
| Status | Reentry 2011-01-06. Was operational until 2009-12-08, 203 days. Semi-operational without 2-way communication until reentry. |
| Launched | 2009-05-19 |
| NORAD ID | 35005 |
| Deployer | P-POD (Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer) |
| Launcher | Minotaur I |
| Entity name | Aerospace Corporation |
| Institution | Non-profit |
| Entity type | Government (Civil / Military) |
| Nation | US |
| Launch brokerer | Cal Poly, ? |
| Partners | U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center |
| Oneliner |
Tethered to the upper stage to image the launcher and ADCS sensor experiment. |
| Description |
After launch, AeroCube-3 will remain attached to the upper stage of its carrier rocket by means of a 61-meter (200 ft) tether. Experiments will be conducted to determine the satellite's flight dynamics. A wide-angle camera will be used to image the upper stage. The satellite will also reel in the tether, moving closer to the upper stage. The primary systems demonstrated were a two-axis solar tracker and an Earth tracker, which could be used in the guidance systems of future satellites. It also carried a 0.6-meter (2 ft 0 in) balloon used for tracking tests and to increase drag, increasing the satellite's rate of orbital decay after its mission was completed. |
| Sources | [1] [2] |
| Photo sources | [1] [2] |
| Keywords | Tether |
| Space photos |     
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| On the same launch |
Last modified: 2024-05-29
