C / NOFS
| C / NOFS | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Research satellite |
| Country: |
 United States
|
| Operator: | US Air Force |
| COSPAR-ID : | 2008-017A |
| Mission dates | |
| Dimensions: | 395 kg |
| Begin: | April 16, 2008, 17:02 UTC |
| Starting place: | Kwajalein |
| Launcher: | Pegasus-XL |
| Status: | in orbit |
| Orbit data | |
| Rotation time : | 97.3 min |
| Orbit inclination : | 13 ° |
| Apogee height : | 852 km |
| Perigee height : | 405 km |
C / NOFS ( C ommunications / N AVIGATION O Utage F orecasting S ystem; communications / navigation failure prediction system) is an American, military research satellite . It was built by General Dynamics . It is used to predict and monitor scintillations in the earth's ionosphere . C / NOFS was launched on April 16, 2008 with a Pegasus XL rocket, which in turn was launched by an L-1011 carrier aircraft . The mission was originally planned for 2003, but has been postponed again and again.
The satellite, which by the Space Test Program of the US Air Force is supervised, should military US allow a forecast (for the next four hours), the impacts of activities in the ionosphere on communications and navigation signals from satellites that potentially cause problems in the area of operation.
technology
The 274 kg C / NOFS (launch mass 395 kg) is based on the SA-200B satellite bus , has a three-axis stabilization system and is equipped with six sensors , including measuring devices for determining electrical fields (Planar Langmuir Probe, Vector Electric Field Instrument, Coherent Electromagnetic Radio Tomography) and particle flows (Ion Velocity Meter, Neutral Wind Meter, Electron Density Profile). It was placed in low earth orbit at an altitude of 600 to 850 km with an inclination of 13 °. Devices (Neutral Wind Meter (NWM) and Ion Velocity Meter (IVM)) from NASA's CINDI program are also on board . The planned lifespan is one year, with three years being hoped for.