Space Technology 5

A NASA project that involves three identical small satellites, functioning as a single "string-of-pearls" constellation, to test new technologies and accurate multi-point measurement gathering in space. All three micro-sats were built and tested at Goddard Space Flight Center. Space Technology 5 (ST5) is a project of NASA's New Millennium Program.

The mission was launched on Mar. 22, 2006 by a Pegasus XL rocket from Vandenberg AFB into a near-Earth, Sun-synchronous polar orbit: perigee 300 km (186 miles), apogee 4,500 km (2,796 miles), inclination 105.6°, period 136 minutes. During flight validation of its technologies, ST5 may measure the effect of solar activity on the Earth's magnetosphere. Nominal mission duration is 90 days.

Each ST5 micro-sat weighs approximately 25 kg (55 lb) when fully fueled and resembles a large birthday cake 53 cm (20.7 in.) across and 48 cm (18.7 in.) high.

Major technologies include:

Cold Gas Micro Thruster (CGMT)
X-Band Transponder
Variable Emittance Coatings for Thermal Control
CMOS Ultra-Low Power Radiation Tolerant Logic (CULPRiT)

Other technologies include:

Miniature magnetometer
Miniature spinning sun sensor
Spacecraft deployment mechanism
Magnetometer deployment boom Nutation Damper

Related category

• SATELLITES AND SPACE PROBES

Also on this site:

Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living
Encyclopedia of History

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