TechDemoSat-1
| Mission type | Technology demonstration |
|---|---|
| Operator | UKSA, ESA |
| COSPAR ID | 2014-037H |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | SSTL-150 |
| Manufacturer | Surrey Satellite Technology |
| Launch mass | 157 kg |
| Dimensions | 77 cm x 50 cm x 90 cm |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 8 July 2014, 15:58:28 UTC |
| Rocket | Soyuz-2-1b Fregat |
| Launch site | Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31 |
| End of mission | |
| Declared | 31 May 2019 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous near-circular |
| Altitude | 625 km |
| Inclination | 98.36 deg |
| Period | 97 minutes |
TechDemoSat-1 was a joint UKSA-ESA technology demonstration satellite mission launched in 2014.[1][2] The satellite carried eight experimental payloads provided by UK space industry and academic institutions.[3][4] Among the new technologies demonstrated by the satellite was GNSS reflectometry (by SSTL) using satellite navigation signals reflected from the sea surface for measuring sea ice cover, ocean surface wind, and sea state.[5][6][7][8][9][10] The mission ended in 2019 after the satellite successfully deployed an experimentral de-orbit drag sail (by Cranfield University) designed to increase the spacecraft's rate of orbital decay.[11][12][13][14][15]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Soyuz Launches Weather Satellite and Six Secondary Payloads".
- ^ "Lift-off for British demo satellites". BBC News. 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ SpaceRef (2014-08-12). "TechDemoSat-1 Video From Orbit Captures View of Earth". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ "TDS-1 Satellite Mission Summary | CEOS Database". database.eohandbook.com. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ Sea State Payload on TechDemoSat-1
- ^ Li, Weiqiang; Cardellach, Estel; Fabra, Fran; Rius, Antonio; Ribó, Serni; Martín-Neira, Manuel (2017). "First spaceborne phase altimetry over sea ice using TechDemoSat-1 GNSS-R signals". Geophysical Research Letters. 44 (16): 8369–8376. doi:10.1002/2017GL074513. ISSN 1944-8007.
- ^ Spaceborne GNSS-Reflectometry on TechDemoSat-1: Early Mission Operations and Exploitation
- ^ GNSS Reflectometry for Global Ocean Wind Services: the TechDemoSat-1 Success Story
- ^ Li, Weiqiang; Cardellach, Estel; Fabra, Fran; Ribó, Serni; Rius, Antonio (2020-01-28). "Measuring Greenland Ice Sheet Melt Using Spaceborne GNSS Reflectometry From TechDemoSat‐1". Geophysical Research Letters. 47 (2). doi:10.1029/2019GL086477. hdl:10261/236224. ISSN 0094-8276.
- ^ "HydroGNSS: ESA's first Scout begins launch preparations". www.esa.int. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ "TechDemoSat-1 (Technology Demonstration Satellite-1)".
- ^ "SSTL's Space Portfolio - TechDemoSat-1 | Small Satellite supplier | Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd | SSTL". www.sstl.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ "TechDemoSat 1 (TDS 1)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ "TechDemoSat-1 captures drag sail deployment". The Engineer. 2019-05-31. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ DE-ORBIT SAIL DESIGN FOR TECHDEMOSAT-1
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