Sapphire (satellite)

Last updated
Sapphire
Mission type Space surveillance
Operator Department of National Defence
COSPAR ID 2013-009C OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
SATCAT no. 39088
Spacecraft properties
Bus SSTL-150
Manufacturer MDA Corporation (prime)
SSTL (bus)
COM DEV International (optical payload)
Launch mass148 kilograms (326 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date25 February 2013, 12:31 (2013-02-25UTC12:31Z) UTC [1]
Rocket PSLV-CA C20
Launch site Satish Dhawan FLP
Contractor ISRO
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Perigee altitude 778 kilometres (483 mi)
Apogee altitude 793 kilometres (493 mi)
Inclination 98.62 degrees
Period 100.43 minutes
Epoch 30 October 2013, 14:37:56 UTC [2]
 

Sapphire is a Canadian space surveillance satellite which was launched in 2013. Sapphire was commissioned and integrated by MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) based on an SSTL-150 [3] bus produced by Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) and an optical payload produced by COM DEV International.

Contents

Details

Sapphire, Canada's first military satellite, is a small spacecraft designed to monitor space debris and satellites within an orbit 3,728 to 24,855 miles (6,000 to 40,000 kilometres) above Earth. The satellite has been providing data to the United States Space Surveillance Network since January 2014. [4] The satellite has a mass of 148 kilograms (326 lb), and carries a three-mirror anastigmat to track artificial objects in medium Earth orbit to geosynchronous Earth orbit. [5] ISRO's Ball Lock separation system IBL-298 was used for separating the satellite. [6]

The optical system is based on the design of the Space-Based Visible (SBV) sensor. This telescope was developed for the Midcourse Space Experiment. The Charge-coupled device(CCD) used is a CCD47-20bi CCD sensor. [7]

Following completion of its operational testing and certification, Sapphire began its five-year operational mission November 13, 2013. [8]

Launch

Sapphire was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), using a PSLV-CA rocket, flight C20. The launch occurred at 12:31 on 25 February 2013, from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Sapphire was a secondary payload on the rocket, the primary payload being the SARAL oceanography satellite. NEOSSat, UniBRITE-1, TUGSAT-1, AAUSAT3 and STRaND-1 were also launched aboard the same rocket. [5] [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle</span> Indian expendable launch vehicle for launching satellites, developed by ISRO

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into Sun-synchronous orbits, a service that was, until the advent of the PSLV in 1993, only commercially available from Russia. PSLV can also launch small size satellites into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, or SSTL, is a company involved in the manufacture and operation of small satellites. A spin-off company of the University of Surrey, it is presently wholly owned by Airbus Defence and Space.

The Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat) is a Canadian microsatellite using a 15-cm aperture f/5.88 Maksutov telescope, with 3-axis stabilisation giving a pointing stability of ~2 arcseconds in a ~100 second exposure. It is funded by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), and searches for interior-to-Earth-orbit (IEO) asteroids, at between 45 and 55 degree solar elongation and +40 to -40 degrees ecliptic latitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RISAT</span> Series of Indian radar imaging satellites

RISAT (Radar Imaging Satellite) is a series of Indian radar imaging reconnaissance satellites built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). They provide all-weather surveillance using synthetic aperture radars (SAR).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SARAL</span> Indian Earth observation satellite

SARAL is a cooperative altimetry technology mission of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES). SARAL performs altimetric measurements designed to study ocean circulation and sea surface elevation.

TUGSAT-1, also known as BRITE-Austria and CanX-3B, is the first Austrian satellite. It is an optical astronomy spacecraft operated by the Graz University of Technology as part of the international BRIght-star Target Explorer programme.

UniBRITE-1 is, along with TUGSAT-1, one of the first two Austrian satellites to be launched. Along with TUGSAT, it operates as part of the BRIght Target Explorer constellation of satellites. The two spacecraft were launched aboard the same rocket, an Indian PSLV-CA, in February 2013. UniBRITE is an optical astronomy spacecraft operated by the University of Vienna as part of the BRIght Target Explorer programme.

IRS-1E was an Earth observation mission launched under the National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS) programme by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Sometimes written IRS-P1. The objective of the mission was to develop Earth imagery using instruments carried on board. Due to a malfunction of the launch vehicle, the satellite deviated from its path and plunged into the Indian Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planet Labs</span> American company specializing in satellite imaging of Earth

Planet Labs PBC is a publicly trading American Earth imaging company based in San Francisco, California. Their goal is to image the entirety of the Earth daily to monitor changes and pinpoint trends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heweliusz (satellite)</span> Polish satellite

Heweliusz is the second Polish scientific satellite launched in 2014 as part of the Bright-star Target Explorer (BRITE) programme. The spacecraft was launched aboard a Chang Zheng 4B rocket in August 2014. Heweliusz is an optical astronomy spacecraft built by the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and operated by Centrum Astronomiczne im. Mikołaja Kopernika PAN; it is one of two Polish contributions to the BRITE constellation along with the Lem satellite. It is named after Johannes Hevelius.

PSLV-C28 was the 29th consecutive successful mission of the PSLV program. The PSLV-C28 carried and successfully deployed 5 satellites in the Sun-synchronous orbit. With a launch mass of 320,000 kilograms (710,000 lb) and payload mass of payload mass 1,440 kilograms (3,170 lb), the C28 was the heaviest commercial mission undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation and Antrix Corporation. The PSLV-C28 carried three identical optical Earth observation satellites, an optical Earth observation technology demonstrator microsatellite (CBNT-1), and an experimental nanosatellite (De-orbitSail). All the satellites were built by Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL). Although built by SSTL, the "De-orbitSail" belonged to the Surrey Space Centre.

PSLV-C34 was the 36th mission of the PSLV program and 14th mission of PSLV in XL configuration. The PSLV-C34 successfully carried and deployed 20 satellites in the Sun-synchronous orbit. With a launch mass of 320,000 kilograms (710,000 lb) and payload mass of 1,288 kilograms (2,840 lb), the C34 set a new record of deploying the maximum number of satellites by Indian Space Research Organisation in a single mission. The PSLV-C34 carried One Cartosat-2 satellite, SathyabamaSat, Swayam & 17 other satellites from United States, Canada, Germany & Indonesia.

Alsat-1B is an Algerian satellite operated by the Agence Spatiale Algerienne for agricultural and disaster monitoring. The contract for the mission was signed in July 2014. The satellite is based on the SSTL-100 bus. The satellite weighs 103 kilograms (227 lb) and carries an Earth imaging payload with 12-metre (39 ft) panchromatic imager and 24-metre (79 ft) multispectral cameras.

Alsat-2A is an Algerian satellite operated by the Algerian Space Agency for cartography, management of agriculture, forestry, water, mineral and oil resources. The satellite weighs 117 kilograms (258 lb) and carries an Earth optical payload.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Satellite Launch Vehicle</span> Indian small-lift launch vehicle

The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a small-lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO with payload capacity to deliver 500 kg (1,100 lb) to low Earth orbit or 300 kg (660 lb) to Sun-synchronous orbit for launching small satellites, with the capability to support multiple orbital drop-offs. SSLV is made keeping low cost, low turnaround time in mind with launch-on-demand flexibility under minimal infrastructure requirements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PSLV-C42</span> 44th mission of the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle program

PSLV-C42 was the 44th mission of the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) program and its 12th mission in the Core Alone (CA) configuration. PSLV-C42 successfully carried and deployed 2 Earth observation satellites in Sun-synchronous orbits at an altitude of 588 kilometres (365 mi). It was launched on 16 September 2018 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The two international satellites were launched as part of a commercial arrangement between Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) and ISRO's commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited, run under the auspices of the Indian Government's Department of Space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HySIS</span> Earth observation satellite

HySIS is an Earth observation satellite which will provide hyperspectral imaging services to India for a range of applications in agriculture, forestry and in the assessment of geography such as coastal zones and inland waterways The data will also be accessible to India's defence forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PSLV-C45</span>

The PSLV-C45 is the 47th mission of the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) program. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C45 was launched on 1 April 2019 with a payload of 29 satellites, including one for electronic intelligence, along with 28 customer satellites from other countries.

References

  1. Clark, Stephen (25 February 2013). "Ocean monitor, smartphone satellite launched from India" . Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  2. Peat, Chris (30 October 2013). "SAPPHIRE - Orbit". Heavens Above. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  3. "SSTL-150 Satellite Platform" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  4. "Canada's DND Sapphire satellite completes commissioning". MDA. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  5. 1 2 Krebs, Gunter. "Sapphire". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  6. "PSLV-C20/SARAL Mission" (PDF). Indian Space Research Organisation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  7. "Sapphire: A Small Satellite System for the Surveillance of Space" . Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  8. Roberge, Justin (June 2015). "Charlie Flight Celebrates Sapphire's Anniversary in Style" (PDF). The Shield ~ Le Bouclier. Vol. 49, no. 6. 22 Wing North Bay. p. 3. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  9. "PSLV-C20 puts SARAL, 6 other satellites in precise orbits". The Hindu. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.