AlSAT-1

ALSAT-1

AlSat in orbit.
Mission type Earth observation
Operator CNTS / SSTL
COSPAR ID 2002-054A[1]
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer SSTL
Launch mass 88 kilograms (194 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date 28 November 2002, 06:07:00 (2002-11-28UTC06:07Z) UTC
Rocket Kosmos-3M
Launch site Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Orbital parameters
Regime Sun synchronous
Peri 700 kilometres (430 mi)
Apo 700 kilometres (430 mi)
Inclination 98 degrees
Period 98.5 min
Error: no value specified for required parameter "apsis"

ALSAT-1[2] is the first Algerian satellite and it is part of a group of satellites collectively known as the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC).[3][4] The satellite was built by a group of engineers from Surrey Satellite Technology and CNTS. It was the first DMC satellite to be launched. The launch took place on 28 November 2002 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia on a Kosmos-3M launcher. It completed its mission after seven years and nine months in August 2010.[5]


References

  1. NASA, "SPACEWARN Bulletin", Number 589, 1 December 2002
  2. J Cooksley, A da Silva Curiel, P Stephens, L Boland, S Jason, W Sun, M Sweeting, "ALSAT-1 First Year In Orbit", 17th AIAA / USU Conference on Small Satellites, 2003
  3. D Gibbon, L Boland, N Bean, Y Hashida, A da Silva Curiel, M Sweeting, P Palmer, "Commissioning of a Small Satellite Constellation - Methods and Lessons Learned", 18th AIAA / USU Conference on Small Satellites, 2004
  4. L Boland, A da Silva Curiel, M Sweeting, P Stephens, D Hodgson, "Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) – Success Based On Small Satellite Technologies", 19th AIAA / USU Conference on Small Satellites, 2005
  5. Algeria’s first satellite mission completed, Robin Wolstenholme, SSTL space blog, 26 August 2010.

External links

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