TechDemoSat 1 (TDS 1)

Spacecraft nº:

UK spacecraft nº: 50

Launch data: Designation  40076 / 14037H Launch date  08 Jul 2014 - 15:58 UT Launch site  Baik, LC-31/6 Launch vehicle  Soyuz-2-1b Fregat-M Mission  Technology demonstration Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  623 x 632 km Eccentricity   Inclination  98.38 ° Period  97.26 min

Spacecraft data:

Description:

• TDS 1 also known as TechDemoSat 1, will measure sea state by measuring radio waves reflected off the ocean surface. Another suite of sensors will monitor conditions around the satellite, such as radiation levels and other particles, for space weather research. The dishwasher-sized TDS 1 satellite carries a compact atmospheric sounding instrument that could lead to lower-cost meteorological and Earth observation missions, and the British craft will be removed from orbit at the end of its three-year mission by a "de-orbit sail" designed to help mitigate risks from space debris.
• TechDemoSat-1 will be the first collaborative UK satellite launched since the establishment of the UK Space Agency and will demonstrate the advanced capabilities of state-of-the-art small satellite technology for scientific and commercial applications.
• From the outset, the mission concept has been industry-led - the culmination of several leading British space companies’ and universities’ efforts to demonstrate the UK’s technical lead in space innovation. As the project leader, SSTL will cooperate with the research and commercial partners providing the payloads in building, testing and operating the satellite.
• TechDemoSat-1 will carry a number of diverse UK payloads to demonstrate the innovative potential of today’s highly capable small satellite-based missions for applications such as monitoring the maritime environment and shipping, man’s impact on the planet and providing in-situ measurements of a wide range of space radiation from low energy plasmas to high energy cosmic ray particles. Payload partners (while still under final selection) are expected to include ComDEV Europe, SSTL, Selex GALILEO, QinetiQ, Aero Sekur, RAL Space, Oxford University, University of Surrey, Leicester University, MSSL and The Langton Star Centre (providing a UK schools experiment).

Mission details:

• On Jul 8 2014 at 1558 UTC Russia launched a Soyuz-2-1B with a Fregat upper stage. The Blok-I stage entered a 183 x 198 km orbit; the Fregat then maneuvered to 191 x 813 km and 818 x 828 km x 98.8 deg, where it deployed the Meteor-M No. 2 weather satellite in an 0900LTDN SSO.
• The Fregat then restarted at 1736 UTC to enter a 638 x 825 km orbit, ejected a payload adapter frame and the Relek (MKA-FKI) satellite which will study relativistic electrons in the magnetosphere. A further burn to 635 x 635 km was followed by deployment at 1828 to 1832 UTC of the TDS-1, SkySat-2, DX-1, AISSat-2, and UKube-1 satellites.

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