Sirio (satellite)

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SIRIO-1
Type: Communications satellite
Country: ItalyItaly Italy
Operator: CNR
COSPAR-ID : 1977-080A
Mission dates
Dimensions: 220 kg
Size: 1.4 m diameter; 2.0 m high
Begin: August 25, 1977, 23:49 UTC
Starting place: Cape Canaveral LC-17B
Launcher: Delta 2313 D133
Orbit data
Rotation time : 24 hours
Track height: 35,786 km

SIRIO ( S atellite I Taliano di R icerca I ndustriale O rien tata) is a series of two geostationary communications / Experimental satellites of the National Research Council CNR , the precursor of the Italian Space Agency ASI .

SIRIO-1 was successfully launched into orbit on August 25, 1977 from Cape Canaveral by a Delta rocket (Delta-2313). It was used for testing the transmission of telephone and television programs as well as for research in the UHF range (measuring devices for plasma , electric fields and low-energy cosmic rays ).

The cylindrical satellite had a diameter of 1.4 m and a height of 2.0 m. The circulating mass was 220 kg. It was first stationed at 15 ° West over the Atlantic, then moved to 25 ° West in 1981. In 1983 it was repositioned to 65 ° East over the Indian Ocean. In September 2001 it was at 86.65 ° East, in March 2007 at 75.38 ° East.

The launch of SIRIO-2 took place on September 10, 1982 with an Ariane 1 rocket from Kourou , but the third stage of the rocket failed and the satellite was lost. It was supposed to serve as a transmitter of meteorological data and was equipped with an S-band multi-channel transponder . In addition, he had a device on board for the synchronization of two atomic clocks installed on earth by laser (LASSO experiment).

The cylindrical satellite had a diameter of 1.44 m and a height of 2.4 m. The takeoff weight was 420 kg and the circulating mass 237 kg.

The energy supply of the two satellites , which were spin-stabilized at 90 rpm, was provided by 8500 solar cells that were attached to the outside of the cylinder and supplied around 130 watts of energy.

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