International Laser Ranging Service

SpinSat

Jump to: Mission Objectives, Mission Instrumentation, Mission Parameters, Additional Information

Mission Photos:

Courtesy of NRL

Mission Objectives:

The objective of the Special Purpose Inexpensive Satellite (SpinSat) experiment is to fly a 22-inch diameter spherical satellite equipped with an array of electrically-controlled solid propellant thrusters. It is intended to be a tumbling satellite having a mass of approximately 50 kg with a single axis momentum wheel and multiple micro-thrusters on the sphere’s surface. For its initial space flight demonstration, SpinSat aims to test movement and positioning of small satellite in space using new technology micro-thrusters. SpinSat will be deployed from the International Space Station (ISS).

SpinSat was launched on September 20, 2014 as part of the cargo vehicle to the International Space Station (ISS). The satellite was deployed from the ISS on November 28, 2014.

SpinSat re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on March 11, 2017.

Mission Instrumentation:

Laser retroreflectors

Mission Parameters:

Notes: *Since the satellite was deployed from the ISS, the alphanumeric COSPAR ID for SpinSat is 1998-067FL. Due to the 7-digit restriction for numeric translation of the COSPAR ID for the ILRS, the last two digits of the ID were designated as the year of the satellite's deployment (the ILRS will not be tasked to support any additional targets deployed from the ISS in 2014). Therefore the ILRS COSPAR ID has been set to 9806714.

Additional Information:

Web sites:

• NASA

Additional Resources:

• Small satellites have another way to get into space