CASSIOPE
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Cascade, Smallsat and Ionospheric Polar Explorer (CASSIOPE),[5] is a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) multi-mission satellite operated by the University of Calgary. The mission development and operations from launch to February 2018 was funded through CSA and the Technology Partnerships Canada program.[5] In February, 2018 CASSIOPE became part of the European Space Agency's Swarm constellation through the Third Party Mission Program[permanent dead link], known as Swarm Echo, or Swarm-E.[6] It was launched September 29, 2013, on the first flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle.[2][7] CASSIOPE is the first Canadian hybrid satellite to carry a dual mission in the fields of telecommunications and scientific research. The main objectives are to gather information to better understand the science of space weather, while verifying high-speed communications concepts through the use of advanced space technologies.
Mission type | Technology Communications Research |
---|---|
Operator | University of Calgary |
COSPAR ID | 2013-055A |
SATCAT no. | 39265 |
Website | http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/cassiope.asp |
Mission duration | Primary mission: 18 months[1] Design life: 2 years[2][3] Elapsed: 10 years, 6 months, 27 days |
Orbits completed | 53807[4] |
Spacecraft properties | |
Bus | MAC-200 |
Manufacturer | MDA (prime) Magellan Aerospace (subcontractor) Com Dev (subcontractor) |
Launch mass | 500 kg (1,100 lb)[3] |
Dimensions | 180×125 cm (71×49 in)[3] |
Power | 5 solar panels generating up to 600 W[3] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | September 29, 2013, 16:00 (2013-09-29UTC16Z) UTC |
Rocket | Falcon 9 v1.1 |
Launch site | Vandenberg SLC-4E |
Contractor | SpaceX |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Semi-major axis | 7,063 km (4,389 mi)[4] |
Eccentricity | 0.0526838[4] |
Perigee altitude | 320 km (200 mi)[4] |
Apogee altitude | 1,064.2 km (661.3 mi)[4] |
Inclination | 80.9604 degrees[4] |
Period | 98.46 minutes[4] |
RAAN | 349.3323 degrees[4] |
Argument of perigee | 335.9358 degrees[4] |
Mean anomaly | 21.8 degrees[4] |
Mean motion | 14.6254[4] |
Epoch | January 30, 2024, 12:46:11 UTC[4] |
The satellite was deployed in an elliptical[8] polar orbit[9] and carries a commercial communications system called Cascade as well as a scientific experiment package called e-POP (enhanced Polar Outflow Probe).[9]
Following staging, the Falcon 9's first stage was used by SpaceX for a controlled descent and landing test. While the first stage was destroyed on impact with the ocean, significant data was acquired and the test was considered a success.[10]