Satélite Tecnológico

The Satélite Tecnológico ("Technologic Satellite" in English) or SATEC, was a microsatellite of scientific applications, designed, developed, built and tested by Brazilian technicians, engineers and scientists working at INPE (National Institute for Space Research).

SATEC

Mission type	Earth orbiter
Operator	INPE
COSPAR ID	F20030822A[1]
Mission duration	6 months (planned)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	INPE
Launch mass	65.0 kilograms (143.3 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	August 25, 2003 (2003-08-25Z) (planned) August 23, 2003, 16:30 UTC (Alcântara accident)
Rocket	VLS-1 V3
Launch site	Alcântara VLS Pad
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Heliosynchronous
Eccentricity	0
Perigee altitude	750 kilometres (470 mi)
Apogee altitude	750 kilometres (470 mi)
Inclination	15°
Period	100 minutes
Epoch	Planned

Features

The primary objective of SATEC was to test the technological equipment embedded in the VLS-1, providing more information for future applications.

The SATEC scientific satellite had the following characteristics:

• Format: parallelepiped with 61 cm x 66 cm x 66 cm
• Mass: 65 kilograms (143 lb)
• Orbit: Heliosynchronous
• Stabilization: By rotation at 120 rpm
• Precision: 1 degree
• Altitude: 750 kilometers

Payload

The instrumentation shipped in SATEC was as follows:

• Solar generator: Silicon cells generating 20 W
• Battery: Type NiCd – 5 Ah
• PCU: with linear series technology
• GPS receiver: adapted to the conditions of flight
• Transmitter: S-band with BPSK modulation

Mission

SATEC, which had an estimated life of 6 months, was lost with UNOSAT in the explosion of the VLS-1 launch vehicle on 23 August 2003 in an explosion three days before the launch date.^[2][3] This event came to be known as Accident of Alcantara.