UniSat-6
UNISAT-6 Mission Patch | |
Mission type | Technology demonstration |
---|---|
Operator | GAUSS Srl |
COSPAR ID | 2014-033C |
SATCAT № | 40012 |
Website | GAUSS Srl page on UniSat-6 mission |
Spacecraft properties | |
Launch mass | 26 kg (57 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 19 June 2014 |
Rocket | Dnepr |
Launch site | Dombarovsky site 13 |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Sun Synchronous |
Eccentricity | 0.005957 |
Perigee | 610 km |
Apogee | 694 km |
Inclination | 97.93 ° |
UniSat-6 is an Italian micro-satellite developed by GAUSS Srl and launched in 2014. The satellite is built in a 0.4x0.4x0.4m box-shaped bus, optimized for piggy-back launch. All instruments are powered by solar cells mounted on the spacecraft body, with maximal electrical power of 11W. The satellite has no on-orbit propulsion, it makes use of an attitude stabilization system based on permanent magnets.[1]
Launch
UniSat-6 was launched from Dombarovsky (air base) site 13, Russia, on 19 June 2014 by a Dnepr rocket.
Mission
The satellite is intended primarily for technology verification in space, the main test piece being 3 deployment systems loaded with 4 CubeSat satellites, namely AeroCube 6, Lemur 1, ANTELSAT and Tigrisat,[2] with a total volume 9U. All sub-satellites were deployed 25 hours after achieving orbit, without incidents.[3]
The satellite is also equipped with an on-board camera to take pictures of the release of the cubesats and for Earth Observation.