NEXTSat

NEXTSat

Operator	DARPA
Major contractors	Ball Aerospace
Bus	RS-300
Mission type	Technology
Launch date	9 March 2007 03:10 UTC
Carrier rocket	Atlas V 401 AV-013
Launch site	Cape Canaveral SLC-41
Mission duration	4 months
COSPAR ID	2007-006C
Mass	224 kilograms (490 lb)
Orbital elements
Regime	Low Earth
Inclination	46.0°
Apoapsis	498 kilometres (309 mi)
Periapsis	490 kilometres (300 mi)

NEXTSat, or Next Generation Satellite and Commodities Spacecraft (NEXTSat/CSC) is an American technology demonstration satellite which was operated as part of the Orbital Express programme. It was used as a target spacecraft for a demonstration of autonomous servicing and refuelling operations performed by the ASTRO satellite.^[1] Launched in March 2007, it was operated for four months, and then deactivated in orbit.

NEXTSat was launched by United Launch Alliance on an Atlas V 401 rocket; serial number AV-013. The launch occurred at 03:10 UTC on 9 March 2007, from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.^[2] The launch was contracted by the Space Test Program to launch the STPSat-1 spacecraft, and was named STP-1. It also deployed ASTRO; as well as FalconSAT-3, CFESat and MidSTAR-1.^[1] The launch marked the first time United Launch Alliance had launched an Atlas V, the type having previously been operated by International Launch Services.

NEXTSat is a 224-kilogram (490 lb) spacecraft,^[1] which was built by Ball Aerospace around the RS-300 satellite bus.^[3] It was operated in low Earth orbit; on 9 March 2007, it had a perigee of 490 kilometres (300 mi), an apogee of 498 kilometres (309 mi), 46.0 degrees of inclination, and an orbital period of 94.49 minutes.^[4] After completing operations, the ASTRO and NEXTSat spacecraft were separated, and ASTRO performed a separation burn. On 21 July 2007, NEXTSat was deactivated. As of 2007^[update], it was expected to remain in orbit until around 2012.^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Krebs, Gunter. "NEXTSAT/CSC". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/nextsat.htm. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
2. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. http://www.planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
3. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Ball: RS-300". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sat/ball_rs-300.htm. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
4. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. http://www.planet4589.org/space/log/satcat.txt. Retrieved 21 March 2011. 
5. ^ Clark, Stephen (23 July 2007). "Satellite in-space servicing demo mission a success". Spaceflight Now. http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0707/23oe/. Retrieved 21 March 2011.