ALMASat-1
ALMASAT-1(ALma MAter SATellite) is a micro satellite developed by University of Bologna for demonstrative purposes which will be helpful for earth observation missions. The project is funded by Italian Ministry of Research.[1]
About the Satellite
The satellite has been made from high quality aluminum and reinforced with eight stainless steel plates. Solar cells are mounted on four sides of satellite for providing the power required for satellite operation.
Mission
The work on development of ALMASat was started in 2003. It was expected to be launched into orbit Dnepr rocket. Later it was launched by Vega lauch vehicle with other satellites onboard. The ALMASAT-1 is a microsatellite having a cuboidal structure , meant for a demo purpose , it accommodates payloads of different sizes and power requirements. The main purpose of ALMASAT-1 is to test the 3-axis pointing accuracy for the future satellite launches.[2]
Launch
ALMASAT-1 was launched by Vega launch system on February 13th , 2012 from Kourou , French Guiana
References