| |
 |
|  |
| | |
| |  Image above: Launch of the TacSat-2 from Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops, VA. Credit: NASA
TacSat-2 Successfully Launched
TacSat-2 launched successfully at 7 a.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 16. TacSat-2 will be propelled into a circular orbit approximately 255 miles above the Earth by a Minotaur I launch vehicle. The satellite, housed in a shroud atop the rocket, will be released into space between 100,000 and 150,000 feet altitude, and will share the brief ride into the cosmos with NASA’s GeneSat-1.
TacSat-2 features 11 onboard experiments, which will be conducted during the spacecraft’s planned six to 12-month mission. The U.S. Navy’s Target Indicator Experiment (TIE) consists of a wideband sensor to gather radar, radio, and handheld communication signals. The TIE will also check for the automated identification transmission now mandated for large ocean-going ships. TacSat-2 can directly talk to any common data link compatible ground station across the globe.
Other features include the integrated global positioning system occultation receiver, which will compile high-precision location data for the micro satellite, recycled solar array panels producing 500 watts of power, and autonomous operations allowing TacSat-2 to think for itself.
| |
| |
 |
| |
| | |
| | 12.05.06 - NASA'S GENESAT-1 To Hitch a Ride On Air Force Rocket
NASA's GeneSat-1 is set to launch into orbit on an Air Force rocket on Dec. 11 from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va.
+ Read More | |
|
| | 10.19.06 - University Students are Helping NASA with GeneSat Mission
Dozens of university students are helping NASA to prepare, monitor and analyze the science from a 'nano' satellite scheduled to launch in December.
+ Read More | |
|
| | 08.24.06 - Wallops Flight Facility Selected as Launch Site for Air Force Satellite
The NASA WFF has been selected by the Space and Missile Systems Center's Detachment 12 as the launch site for TacSat-2.
+ Read More | |
|
|  |
|
