UNITE (satellite)
UNITE (Undergraduate Nano Ionospheric Temperature Explorer) is a CubeSat nanosatellite developed by the University of Southern Indiana. The project was funded by NASA's Undergraduate Student Instrument Project and primarily designed and built by students. It was launched into space on 5 December 2018 and is expected to be deployed into its orbit from the International Space Station in early 2019. Its mission includes measuring plasma in the lower ionosphere and monitoring the drag and temperature of the satellite itself.[1][2]
| Mission type | Ionospheric research |
|---|---|
| Operator | University of Southern Indiana |
| COSPAR ID | 1998-067PX |
| SATCAT no. | 44031 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 3U CubeSat |
| Launch mass | 4 kg (8.8 lb) |
| Dimensions | 10 cm (4 in) x 10 cm (4 in) x 30 cm (12 in) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 5 December 2018 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 FT, CRS-16 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
References
- Luttrull, Benjamin (5 May 2018). "USI's first spacecraft to be deployed in 2019". usi.edu. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
- Farless, John (18 November 2018). "USI engineering and physics team to put spacecraft into orbit". usi.edu. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
External links
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.