Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




MICROSAT BLITZ
Army Nanosatellite On First Flight
by John Cummings
SMDC/ARSTRAT
Redstone Arsenal AL (SPX) Dec 10, 2010


The first Army-built satellite in more than 50 years, SMDC-ONE nanosatellite, is onboard the second stage of the launching SpaceX Falcon 9. Photo courtesy of collectSPACE.

The first U.S. Army nanosatellite lifted off of Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral at 10:43 a.m. Eastern. This is the launch of the first U.S. Army-built satellite in more than 50 years. U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command is the Army lead for the SMDC-ONE nanosatellite program.

The Space and Missile Defense Command - Operational Nanosatellite Effect, or SMDC-ONE, launched on a Falcon 9 two-stage booster, a Space Exploration Technologies, Inc, or SpaceX, launch vehicle as a secondary payload. The primary payload for this flight is the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

The primary objective of this maiden flight is to receive data from a ground transmitter and relay that data to a ground station. The intent of this technology demonstration is to build a number of identical satellites and deploy them together into Low Earth Orbit to simulate enhanced tactical communications capability and evaluate nanosat performance.

Approximately 45 minutes after launch, SMDC-ONE deployed from the Falcon 9 trunk unit located in the second stage of the rocket and was placed into a low earth orbit.

After being dormant for 30 minutes, the nanosatellite deployed its receiver antennas. Even though in a tumbling mode, the satellite contacted the ground station at USASMDC/ARSTRAT on Redstone Arsenal, Ala., and provided a??state-of-healtha?? data.

During orbits over the next four days contact with the second ground station in Colorado Springs, Colo., will be made during orbits.

After deployment, it is expected that SMDC-ONE will remain in orbit for approximately 30 days before dropping out of orbit. Because of its small size and weight, SMDC-ONE is expected to be destroyed during reentry in the atmosphere.

.


Related Links
US Army Space and Missile Defense Command
Microsat News and Nanosat News at SpaceMart.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








MICROSAT BLITZ
NASA Ejects Nanosatellite From Microsatellite In Space
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 07, 2010
On Dec. 6 at 1:31 a.m. EST, NASA for the first time successfully ejected a nanosatellite from a free-flying microsatellite. NanoSail-D ejected from the Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite, FASTSAT, demonstrating the capability to deploy a small cubesat payload from an autonomous microsatellite in space. Nanosatellites or cubesats are typically launched and deployed from a me ... read more


MICROSAT BLITZ
Robotic Excavations Could Help Get Helium 3 From Moon To Earth

A Softer Landing on the Moon

Neptec Wins Canadian Space Agency Contract To Develop A New Generation Of Lunar Rovers

Mission to far side of moon proposed

MICROSAT BLITZ
The Three Ages Of Mars

Odyssey Orbiter Nears Martian Longevity Record

Drilling For The Future Of Science

Opportunity Imaging Small Craters On Way To Endeavour

MICROSAT BLITZ
Discovery Of The Secrets That Enable Plants Near Chernobyl To Shrug Off Radiation

South Africa unveils space agency

NASA sells PCs still containing data

SwRI Researchers Continue Starfighters Suborbital Space Flight Training

MICROSAT BLITZ
China Builds Theme Park In Spaceport

Tiangong Space Station Plans Progessing

China-Made Satellite Keeps Remote Areas In Venezuela Connected

Optis Software To Optimize Chinese Satellite Design

MICROSAT BLITZ
ISS Tracks Months-Long Voyages Of Ships At Sea

Busy Day For ISS Commander

NASA Seeks Nonprofit To Manage ISS National Lab Research

Expedition 25 Returns Home

MICROSAT BLITZ
SpaceX Dragon Does Two Orbits Before Pacific Splashdown

NASA, SpaceX giddy over historic orbit launch

ISRO Hands Two Contracts To Arianespace

US company readies first space capsule launch

MICROSAT BLITZ
Astronomers Detect First Carbon-Rich Exoplanet

NASA's Spitzer Reveals First Carbon-Rich Planet

Astronomers Discover New Planet In Planetary System Very Similar To Our Own

Super-Earth Has An Atmosphere, But Is It Steamy Or Gassy

MICROSAT BLITZ
Taiwan to approve three billion dollar China plant: report

Tablet computers come of age in 2010 with iPad mania

World's First Microlaser Emitting In 3-D

Sony and Sharp launch e-readers, tablets in Japan




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement