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Ikonos

Spacecraft · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

Ikonos
Ikonos

American civilian surveillance satellite. The first high resolution commercial imaging satellite. Earth observing satellite built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems for Space Imaging => GeoEye, USA. Launched 1999. Used the LM-900 bus.

It carried a 1-m resolution panchromatic camera and a 4-m resolution color imager, with a 13 km swath width. Built on an LM-900 bus. 6 MR-103G 0.1N thrusters for attitude control.

More at: Ikonos.

Country
USA
Launch Vehicles
Athena-2
Bibliography
2, 4, 6586, 12648

Chronology

2 events

1999 April 27

18:22 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC6. LV Family: Athena. Launch Vehicle: Athena-2. FAILURE: Payload shroud failed to separate four minutes after launch.. Failed Stage: S.
  • Ikonos 1 - . Mass: 726 kg (1,600 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: LM-900. Spacecraft: Ikonos.

    Tracking stations downrange did not pick up the spacecraft. It was later determined that the rocket nose fairing failed to separate four minutes after launch. The extra mass caused the vehicle to reenter over the South Pacific on the first partial orbit. Space Imaging's Ikonos 1 was to have been the first commercial imaging satellite with a high a resolution camera.

1999 September 24

18:21 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC6. LV Family: Athena. Launch Vehicle: Athena-2.
  • Ikonos - . Mass: 726 kg (1,600 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: SpaceIm. Manufacturer: Lockheed. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: LM-900. Spacecraft: Ikonos. USAF Sat Cat: 25919 . COSPAR: 1999-051A. Apogee: 679 km (421 mi). Perigee: 678 km (421 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 98.30 min. Commercial / civilian high resolution (1 metre resolution) photograhic satellite..