Encyclopedia entry

Stanford

Spacecraft · USA

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

American manufacturer of spacecraft. Stanford University, USA.

Chronology

3 events

03:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC8. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minotaur 1.

OPAL - . Payload: Orbiting Picosat Launcher. Mass: 13 kg (28 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USAF AFMC. Manufacturer: Stanford. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: OPAL. USAF Sat Cat: 26063 . COSPAR: 2000-004C. Apogee: 808 km (502 mi). Perigee: 754 km (468 mi). Inclination: 100.20 deg. Period: 100.39 min.
Stanford University Orbiting Picosat Automated Launcher. Carried an acclerometer, a magnetometer, and six small picosatellites - Picosat 1 and 2, Stensat, and the Artemis triplets (JAK, Thelma, and Louise). The first two were deployed on February 7 at 0334:16 GMT. OPAL transmitter problems delayed the initial release.

02:40 GMT - . Launch Site: Kodiak. LV Family: Athena. Launch Vehicle: Athena-1.

Sapphire - . Mass: 67 kg (147 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Lockheed. Manufacturer: Stanford. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Sapphire. USAF Sat Cat: 26932 . COSPAR: 2001-043D. Apogee: 796 km (494 mi). Perigee: 790 km (490 mi). Inclination: 67.10 deg. Period: 100.70 min. SAPPHIRE (a US DoD-funded microsatellite) was built by Stanford University students and carried experimental infrared horizon sensors, a voice synthesizer and a digital camera. The satellite was about 0.5m in size and had a mass of 16 kg..

06:46 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC109. Launch Pad: LC109/95. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: Dnepr.

MAST - . Mass: 3.00 kg (6.60 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Tethers. Manufacturer: Stanford. Class: Technology. Type: Tether technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 31126 . COSPAR: 2007-012K. Apogee: 783 km (486 mi). Perigee: 647 km (402 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 99.10 min.
Multi Application Survivable Tether experiment, built by Tethers Unlimited Inc and Stanford University. MAST consisted of the TED (Tether Deployer) satellite, with a 1 km deployable multi-strand Hoytether; RALPH, a small end mass satellite; and between them, GADGET, an inspector 1U cubesat which could move along the tether. Before deployment the MAST package fit into a 0.3 m x 0.1 m module. Failed to deploy, but radio contact made.