Humanity Star
| Humanity Star | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Nanosatellite |
| Country: |
 New Zealand
|
| Operator: | Rocket Lab |
| COSPAR-ID : | 2018-010F |
| Mission dates | |
| Dimensions: | 8 kg |
| Size: | about 1 m in diameter |
| Begin: | January 21, 2018, 01:44 UTC |
| Starting place: | Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 |
| Launcher: | Electron |
| Status: | burned up on March 22, 2018 |
| Orbit data | |
| Rotation time : | 92.7 min |
| Orbit inclination : | 82.9 ° |
| Apogee height : | 533.2 km |
| Perigee height : | 298.1 km |
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Humanity Star was a nanosatellite from the US - New Zealand space company Rocket Lab . It was brought into low-earth orbit along with three Cubesats on January 21, 2018 with the first successful launch of the Electron rocket from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 .
Structure and purpose
Humanity Star weighed about 8 kg and consisted of a 1 m ball made of carbon fibers , which was covered with 76 mirrors like a disco ball . The rotating satellite should regularly reflect sunlight back to earth like a flashing light and thus briefly become the brightest star in the sky. According to Peter Beck, founder of Rocket Lab, Humanity Star had a significantly larger reflective surface than Iridium satellites, which produce the powerful Iridium flares .
Humanity Star served no scientific purpose, but expressed Beck's worldview that humanity could improve their life on earth through space travel . He is also part of Rocket Labs goal to democratize space .
When the Electron rocket was first launched in May 2017, a Humanity Star was on board, but it was lost after the rocket's second stage malfunctioned. The existence of the satellites was only announced after the second successful launch.
The similarly structured Experimental Geodetic Satellite has been in space since 1986, but is much weaker due to its higher orbit and smaller mirrors.
Orbit
Its orbit had a period of about 93 minutes and had a high inclination of 82.9 °. This made it visible from all over the world during twilight . It was originally intended that the satellite would remain in orbit for about nine months. On March 22, 2018, however, it had sunk so far that it burned up around 1:15 p.m. UTC when it reentered the earth's atmosphere .
criticism
Astronomers like Michael E. Brown criticized the “ disco ball ” in space as “space graffiti”, which additionally disfigured the night sky , which is already suffering from light pollution .
See also
- LAGEOS ( laser satellite covered with reflectors )
Web links
- The Humanity Star website with live satellite tracking
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Tim Fernholz: Private rocketeers snuck their own “star” into orbit, and it will be visible from earth. In: Quartz . January 24, 2018, accessed January 25, 2018 .
- ↑ Homepage. Archived from the original on March 2, 2018 ; accessed on February 12, 2018 (English, original website no longer available).
- ↑ a b c Eric Berger: Rocket Lab launched a secret payload into space last weekend. In: Ars Technica . January 24, 2018, accessed January 25, 2018 .
- ↑ Rocket Lab's 'Humanity Star' is New Zealand first satellite. In: The New Zealand Herald . January 25, 2018, accessed January 28, 2018 .
- ↑ Loren Grush: Rocket Lab secretly launched a disco ball satellite on its latest test flight. In: The Verge . January 24, 2018, accessed January 25, 2018 .
- ↑ Visibility of Humanity Star. Calsky, accessed March 23, 2018 .
- ↑ Michael McGowan: 'Space graffiti': Astronomers angry over launch of fake star into sky. The Guardian, January 26, 2018, accessed January 26, 2018 .