Quakesat

Quakesat

Mission type	Earth observation
COSPAR ID	2003-031F
SATCAT no.	27845
Website
Mission duration	1 year and 185 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	CubeSat
Spacecraft type	3 CubeSat
Manufacturer	QuakeFinder, LLC
Launch mass	5 kg (11 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	30 June 2003, 14:15:26 UTC
Rocket	Rockot/Briz-KM
Launch site	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 133
Contractor	Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit [1]
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude	821 km (510 mi)
Apogee altitude	833 km (518 mi)
Inclination	98.70°
Period	101.40 minutes
Instruments
Magnetometer

Quakesat was an Earth observation nanosatellite based on three CubeSats. It was designed to be a "proof-of-concept" for collecting space-based detection of extremely low frequency signals, theorized to be earthquake precursor signals. The science behind the concept was disputed at the time of launch. ^[2]

Stanford University and Stellar Solutions released a 10-year, longitudinal study in 2022 in collaboration with Google using earth-based instrumentation that confirmed the science behind the theory for forecasting purposes, but not to the level sufficient to meet the USGS standard of an earthquake prediction. ^[3]

Mission

The mission goal of Quakesat was to determine if there were any ultra low frequency (ULF) magnetic signals, associated with large earthquakes, that could be detected using a satellite-based, induction magnetometer flying in low-earth-orbit (LEO). ^[4] QuakeFinder LLC, the company that put the satellites together, was from Palo Alto, California. They were gathering data on the ultra low frequency magnetic field fluctuations that are associated with earthquakes to help better understand this area of study. The primary instrument was a magnetometer housed in a 2 ft (0.6 m) telescoping boom.

On 30 June 2003, deployment of Quakesat was alongside other university CubeSats and one commercial CubeSat. The launch occurred on a Rokot rocket from Russia's Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

The mission was planned to last one year, but ended up lasting 1 and a half years. ^[5]

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• List of CubeSats

References

1. "Trajectory: Quakesat 2003-031F". NASA. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
2. • John Upton (13 August 2011). "Pursuing the Grail of an Earthquake Predictor, but Facing Skeptics". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
   • John Upton (15 August 2011). "The Science of Predicting Earthquakes: U.S. Geological Survey refuses to fund controversial research into electromagnetic signals". The Bay Citizen. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
   • David, Leonard (2003). "Cubesats: On the Prowl for Earthquake Clues". Space.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2006. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
3. Heavlin, William D.; Kappler, Karl; Yang, Lusann; Fan, Minjie; Hickey, Jason; Lemon, James; MacLean, Laura; Bleier, Thomas; Riley, Patrick; Schneider, Daniel (2022). "Case-Control Study on a Decade of Ground-Based Magnetometers in California Reveals Modest Signal 24–72 hr Prior to Earthquakes". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 127 (10): e2022JB024109. doi: 10.1029/2022JB024109 . ISSN   2169-9356.
4. "QuakeFinder » About QuakeSat" . Retrieved 29 January 2025.
5. "QuakeSat". eoPortal. 12 June 2012. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.

QuakeFinder LLC Single axis search coil, small E-field dipole