MAROC-TUBSAT
| MAROC-TUBSAT | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Earth observation satellite |
| Country: |
 Germany / Morocco
|
| Operator: | ILR / CRTS |
| COSPAR-ID : | 2001-056D |
| Mission dates | |
| Dimensions: | 47 kg |
| Size: | 32 × 34 × 36.2 cm |
| Begin: | December 10, 2001, 17:18 UTC |
| Starting place: | Baikonur 45/1 |
| Launcher: | Zenith 2 |
| Status: | Project finished |
| Orbit data | |
| Rotation time : | 105.1 min |
| Orbit inclination : | 99.2 ° |
| Apogee height : | 1014 km |
| Perigee height : | 985 km |
The MAROC-TUBSAT is a former satellite for research and earth observation. The project was a cooperation between the Institute for Aerospace ( ILR ) at the TU Berlin and the CRTS in Rabat , Morocco . The ILR took over the development and construction of the satellite bus under the project management of Udo Renner, the payload for the satellite, a camera from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory , and the start was provided by the CRTS. Contrary to the information in some literature, the satellite belonged equally to the TU Berlin and the CRTS.
mission
The satellite served the TU Berlin primarily to train the students of the ILR and to develop new attitude control strategies. The CRTS also used the satellite for training and some communication experiments.
MAROC-TUBSAT is based on the TUBSAT-C bus, which was also used by DLR-TUBSAT , but, unlike DLR-TUBSAT, has a photo and no video camera on board. It was therefore not controlled interactively, but rather using preprogrammed commands.
The launch took place on December 10, 2001 with a Russian Zenit rocket into a sun-synchronous orbit . One day later the first signals could be received. The satellite was actively operated by the TU Berlin at least until 2005. A UHF ground control station on the roof of the ILR in Berlin was used, as was a 3 mS band antenna for the payload signal.
Radio frequencies
In January 2002, MAROC-TUBSAT caused anger among radio amateurs because the satellite sent an automatic message on 144.1 MHz, a frequency reserved for radio amateurs. In the message "VVV DE CN / ZARKAA AL YAMAMA" there was no call sign, so that the identity of the jammer could not be inferred directly, but MAROC-TUBSAT was soon identified as the source. After protests, the operator immediately switched off the signal on the frequency that did not correspond to the radio amateurs' band plan . Udo Renner from the TU Berlin stated that this frequency was selected by Moroccan employees, on whose word he had relied.
The satellite was controlled via the frequency 436.075 MHz. The connection was made via ground stations in Rabat and Berlin, the downlink was only active as a response for the uplink . The frequency 2208.0 MHz was also requested.
Technical specifications
- 32 × 34 × 36.2 cm
- 47 kg
- 4 solar panels
- 4 NiH2 batteries
- 1 CCD video camera with 200 m ground resolution
- 3 reaction wheels
- 3 laser gyroscopes
- 2 coarse sun sensors
- 1 magnetic tour
- 1 CCD star sensor
- VHF / UHF-TT&C system
- S-band payload data system
See also
Web links
- ILR: TUBSAT (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ TUBSAT in the Encyclopedia Astronautica , accessed 25 July 2012 (English).
- ^ First Moroccan satellite through cooperation with the TU Berlin in space. TU Berlin, December 12, 2001, accessed on July 25, 2012 .
- ↑ a b Sven Grahn: Signals from MAROC-TUBSAT. March 6, 2002, accessed on May 10, 2013 (English, with audio file of a signal from January 23, 2002).
- ↑ Mystery satellite identified. In: The ARRL Letter Vol. 21, No. 5th ARRL, February 1, 2002, accessed May 10, 2013 .
- ↑ a b maroc-tubsat. G0SFJ, January 27, 2002, accessed May 10, 2013 .