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Formosat 3
2006-011A
Taiwan NSPO Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC). 6 OSC Microstar satellites on Minotaur from Vandenberg. Measure ionosphere and gravity field. One satellite built at Dulles, five others assembled and tested at NSPO/Taiwan. The project is a collaboration with the University Corp for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) in the US.
ONR-910 S00-8, Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate
FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC is using a single Minotaur vehicle to launch all 6 spacecraft to an interim orbit of approximately 500 Km. Over the next year after launch, the satellites will be moved into 6 separate planes, and boosted to their final orbits of 800 Km with an inclination of 71 degrees.
FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC has contracted with Universal Space Network to provide ground support services in Kiruna, Sweden, and North Pole, Alaska. With these two sites, each of the 6 FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC spacecraft will be able to downlink all collected science data every orbit (approximately every 100 minutes). The control center is NSPO's MMCC in Taiwan.
24 deg separation, raise to mission orbit when sep achieved.
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The US-Taiwanese FORMOSAT-3 mission was launched on Apr 15 by a Orbital Sciences Minotaur from Vandenberg Air Force Base. FORMOSAT-3 consists of six small 62-70 kg Orbcomm-type satellites with GPS receivers which will measure atmospheric conditions by studying the effect of the atmosphere on GPS satellite signals passing through it. The satellites, also known as COSMIC (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate), will eventually be positioned in equally spaced orbit planes at around 800 km altitude. Initial orbits were around 500 x 540 km x 72 deg.
Satellites built by Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. and OSC. They use the LEOSTAR-1 (Microstar) bus.
Satellite mass is 61 kg including 6.4 kg of prop.
On 2008 Oct 1, RA was:
A 188.2 FM5-60 FM6 B 104.3 FM5-150 FM1 C 251.2 FM5 D 92.6 FM5-160 (still drifting) E 161.4 FM5-90 FM4 F 222.5 FM5-30 FM2
| COSMIC 1 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Apr 15 | 0140:00 | Launch by Minotaur | V SLC-8 |
| T+1:04 St 1 sep | |||
| T+2:19 St 2 sep | |||
| T+2:19 St 3 on | |||
| T+2:28 Fairing sep | |||
| T+3:25 St 3 burnout | |||
| T+9:09 St 3 sep 499 km | |||
| T+9:13 St 4 on | |||
| 0150 | T+10:10? St 4 off | ||
| 0154 | T+14:25 Sat-1 sep | ||
| 0155 | T+15:23 Sat-2 sep | ||
| 0156 | T+16:20 Sat-3 sep | ||
| 0157 | T+17:20 Sat-4 | ||
| 0158 | T+18:19 Sat-5 sep | ||
| 0159 | T+19:19 Sat-6 sep | ||
| 2006 Jul | Sat-5 on station | ||
| 2006 Dec | Sat-2 on station | ||
| 2007 Feb | Sat-6 on station | ||
| 2007 May | Sat-4 on station | ||
| 2007 late | Sat-1,3 on station | ||
| 2006 Apr 16 | 94.95 496 x 536 x 72.0 | ||
| 2006 Oct 2 | FM6 Orbit raise | ||
| 2006 Oct 5 | 95.07 504 x 538 x 72.0 | ||
| 2006 Dec | Orbit raise | ||
| 2006 Dec 12 | 95.14 513 x 538 x 72.0 | ||
| 2006 Dec 31 | 96.74 517 x 687 x 72.0 | ||
| 2007 Jan 3 | 97.78 551 x 753 x 72.0 | ||
| 2007 Feb 6 | 100.91 764 x 838 x 72.0 | ||
| 2008 Oct 9 | 100.91 763 x 839 x 72.0 | ||