Leostar
Spacecraft · USA
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
American OSC-built satellite bus designed for launch by the company's Pegasus or Taurus launch vehicles, originally designed for the USAF Standard Technology Experiment Program (STEP) technology missions.
More at: Leostar.
Subtopics
- STEP 0 (TAOS, P90-5) Null
- STEP 1 (P90-1) Null
- STEP 3 (P92-2) Null
- STEP 4 (P95-1) Null
- TSX 5 (P95-2) Null
- VCL (ESSP 1) Null
Related
- Family
- Earth
- Country
- USA
- Launch Vehicles
- Taurus, Taurus 3110
- Launch Sites
- Vandenberg 576E
Chronology
3 events
2001 September 21
18:49 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg 576E. LV Family: Taurus. Launch Vehicle: Taurus 2110. FAILURE: A problem a few seconds after first stage separation caused the rocket to go off course; it recovered and the remainder of the stages fired, but final cutoff velocity was too low to reach a sustainable orbit.. Failed Stage: G.- Orbview-4 - .
Mass: 368 kg (811 lb). Nation: USA.
Agency: Orbimage.
Manufacturer: OSC.
Program: Orbview.
Class: Surveillance.
Type: Civilian surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: LEOStar.
Spacecraft: Orbview.
COSPAR: F010921A.
Launch delayed from June 27, July 18/22, August 12/21 and September1. The Orbital Sciences Taurus 2110 failed to remain in orbit. A problem a few seconds after first stage separation caused the T6 rocket to go off course; the rocket recovered and the remainder of the stages fired, but final cutoff velocity was too low to reach a sustainable orbit. The Castor 120 zero stage was on course but the Orion 50S first stage motor went off course. The satellites separated from the final stage as planned but burned up in the earth's atmosphere northeast of Madagascar before completing the first orbit. The final orbit was about 75-80 km x 425-430 km x 97 deg. The primary payload was the OrbView-4 imaging satellite. OrbView-4, built by Orbital, was a 368 kg box-shaped spacecraft carrying a 1-m resolution panchromatic camera and an 8-m resolution 200-channel hyperspectral imager with a 0.45-meter aperture. It was to be used by the US Air Force.
2003 June 26
18:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Point Arguello. Launch Complex: Point Arguello WADZ. Launch Pad: Aircraft from Vandenberg.. Launch Platform: L-1011. LV Family: Pegasus. Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL.- Orbview 3 - .
Mass: 304 kg (670 lb). Nation: USA.
Agency: McLean.
Program: Orbview.
Class: Earth.
Type: Earth resources satellite. Spacecraft Bus: LEOStar.
Spacecraft: Orbview.
Decay Date: 2011-03-13 . USAF Sat Cat: 27838 . COSPAR: 2003-030A. Apogee: 455 km (282 mi). Perigee: 452 km (280 mi). Inclination: 97.30 deg. Period: 93.70 min.
One-meter-resolution commercial imaging satellite. Orbview-3 used an Orbital Leostar bus and had a launch mass of 304 kg (including ca. 50 kg of hydrazine for orbit raising and the 66 kg science instrument). Launch had been delayed from September 2002, April 30, May 9 and 23 Air dropped in Point Arguello WADZ.