SAOCOM

SAOCOM (SAtélite Argentino de Observación COn Microondas, Spanish for Argentine Microwaves Observation Satellite) is a planned Earth observation satellite constellation of the Argentine Space Agency CONAE.

Configuration

The Two satellites, SAOCOM 1A and SAOCOM 1B, both will be equipped with a L-band (about 1275 GHz) full polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Each weighing 1,600 kg (3,500 lb)[1] and their main purpose will be monitoring for the mitigation of natural disasters effects.

Mission

Originally, the launch was announced for 2010 (1A) and 2011 (1B),[2] but later due to delays in satellites development both launches were postponed for 2012 and 2013.[3] Further delays pushed the launches date back tentatively towards 2014 and 2015.[4] As of February 2016, SAOCOM 1A was later scheduled for launch in December 2016[5] and SAOCOM 1B in December 2017.[6] As of April 2016 the scheduled launch dates for 1A and 1B are were further pushed back to October 2017 and October 2018.[7] Falcon-9 rockets will be used for the launches.[8]

SIASGE Constellation

The two satellites along with four X-band (around 9.6 GHz) SAR equipped COSMO-SkyMed satellites from the Italian Space Agency Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) would form the Italian-Argentine System of Satellites for Emergency Management (SIASGE) constellation.[9] A successful design review was held at the Argentinian spaceport (Centro Espacial Teófilo Tabanera), Cordoba on 16 and 17 October 2012. In May 2015, a delegation from the Italian Space Agency (ASI) visited Argentina, CONAE officials announced that discussions between the two agencies included the expansion of the SIAGSE system by adding two additional COSMO-SkyMed satellites and two additional SAOCOM satellites, 2A and 2B. This would raise the SIAGSE constellation total number of satellites to 10.

References

  1. ↑ "INVAP - SAOCOM satellites". Retrieved 2015-05-03.
  2. ↑ Bär, Nora (June 7, 2007). "Hoy debuta la "superconstelación" ítalo-argentina" (in Spanish). La Nación. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
  3. ↑ "SPACEX SIGNS ARGENTINA'S SPACE AGENCY FOR TWO FALCON 9 LAUNCHES". Space Exploration Technologies Corp. 16 April 2009. Retrieved 2015-05-03.
  4. ↑ "Launch manifest". SpaceX. 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-20.
  5. ↑ "Mission Summary - SAOCOM 1A". CEOS. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  6. ↑ "Mission Summary - SAOCOM 1B". CEOS. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  7. ↑ "Exitosa Revisión de la Misión SAOCOM" (in Spanish). CONAE. April 12, 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  8. ↑ http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/saocom-1.htm
  9. ↑ Arias, Daniel E. (June 9, 2007). "Ya en órbita, el satélite Cosmo-Skymed da sus primeros signos de vida" (in Spanish). La Nación. Retrieved 2007-08-31.

External links

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