Encyclopedia entry

Astro-200

Spacecraft · USA

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

American small satellite bus by Ball/AeroAstro. Total mass around 160 kg; designed for operation for at least a year in 400-850 km orbits.

More at: Astro-200.

Subtopics

STPSat 1 Technology satellite built by AeroAstro for USAF STP (Space Test Program), USA. Launched 2007. Used the Astro-200 bus.
STPSat 2, 3 Technology satellite built by Ball Aerospace (prime); AeroAstro (bus) for USAF STP (Space Test Program), USA. Launched 2010 - 2013. Used the Astro-200 bus.
GPIM Technology satellite built by Ball Aerospace, Aerojet Corp. for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Ball Aerospace, Aerojet Corp.. Used the BCP-100 bus.
JMAPS Astrometry satellite built by AeroAstro, Ball for USNO. Used the Astro-200AS bus.

3 events

03:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.

STPSat-1 - . Mass: 170 kg (370 lb). Nation: USA. Manufacturer: AeroAstro. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Astro-200. USAF Sat Cat: 30775 . COSPAR: 2007-006D. Apogee: 560 km (340 mi). Perigee: 558 km (346 mi). Inclination: 35.40 deg. Period: 95.80 min. STPSat carried experiments to study the Earth's atmosphere, ionosphere and radiation environment. It also released the two MEPSI picosatellites..

01:25 GMT - . Launch Site: Kodiak. LV Family: Peacekeeper. Launch Vehicle: Minotaur IV.

USA 217 - . Payload: STPSat-2 SIV. Mass: 135 kg (297 lb). Nation: USA. Manufacturer: AeroAstro. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Astro-200. USAF Sat Cat: 37222 . COSPAR: 2010-062A. Technology experiments. Lead satellite of USAF Space Test Program mission S26..

01:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: Wallops Island LA0B. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minotaur 1.

STPSAT-3 - . Mass: 180 kg (390 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Astro-200. USAF Sat Cat: 39380 . COSPAR: 2013-064A. Apogee: 498 km (309 mi). Perigee: 493 km (306 mi). Inclination: 40.52 deg. Period: 94.52 min.
Carried technology and space weather experiments, including a Total Solar Irradiance sensor, TCTE, to provide data lost when the Glory launch failed. Also on the launch vehicle were two CubeStack wafers which eject a record total of 28 cubesats. The upper wafer carried four 6U Cubesat dispensers for NRO missions, and the lower wafer carried eight 3U P-POD cubesat dispensers for various payloads including NASA's ELANA IV cubesat cluster.