Prisma (satellite project)

For the Italian spacecraft with similar name, see PRISMA (spacecraft).

Prisma is a satellite project led by the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) which consist of two satellites that fly in formation.^[1] Prisma is operated in collaboration with CNES, the French space agency, which provides the radiofrequency metrology system that enables the satellites to fly in close formation while autonomously avoiding collisions.^[3]

Prisma

Prisma satellite during integration
Mission type	Technology demonstrator
Operator	Swedish National Space Board, DLR, CNES
COSPAR ID	Mango: 2010-028B Tango: 2010-028F
SATCAT no.	Mango: 36599 Tango: 36827
Mission duration	1 year planned 15 years, 1 month and 17 days elapsed
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	Saab Ericsson Space, Omnisys Instruments, ECAPS
Launch mass	Mango: 145 kg (320 lb) Tango: 50 kg (110 lb)
Dimensions	Mango: 80 cm × 130 cm (31 in × 51 in) Tango: 80 cm × 31 cm (31 in × 12 in)
Power	Mango: 300 watts Tango: 90 watts
Start of mission
Launch date	15 June 2010, 14:42:16 UTC (2010-06-15UTC14:42:16Z)[1]
Rocket	Dnepr rocket
Launch site	Dombarovsky 370/13
Contractor	ISC Kosmotras
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Sun-synchronous
Semi-major axis	7,086 kilometres (4,403 mi)[2]
Perigee altitude	668.3 kilometres (415.3 mi)[2]
Apogee altitude	749 kilometres (465 mi)[2]
Inclination	98.4 degrees[2]
Period	99 minutes[2]
Epoch	24 March 2015, 11:08:39 UTC[2]

It was launched, along with the PICARD spacecraft, on 15 June 2010 on a Dnepr launcher from Dombarovskiy Cosmodrome, near Yasny, Russia. Its primary objective is to test autonomous formation flying.^[1][4] A secondary objective was to flight test a new monopropellant thruster using ammonium dinitramide (ADN) propellant.^[5]

On 12 August 2010, SSC reported that the two satellites, called Mango and Tango, had separated from each other for the first time.^[6]