STRV_1C

Space Technology Research Vehicle

Space Technology Research Vehicle

Add article description

Space Technology Research Vehicle, or STRV, was a series of British microsatellites which operated in elliptical orbits around the Earth. The satellites were built by the Defence Research Agency at Farnborough, for the UK Ministry of Defence.[3]

Quick Facts Mission type, Operator ...

Mission

The series of four satellites, launched as two pairs, were designed to test new technologies in the harsh radiation environment of a geostationary transfer orbit. Each satellite had an expected 1 year life-time and carries myriad detectors, sensors and other equipment for a variety of organisations including the UK MoD, ESA and the US Department of Defense. The satellites were controlled from the DRA groundstation at Lasham in the UK.[3] Several of the STRV satellites' experiments also recorded proton and electron data as they repeatedly passed through the Van Allen Belts.[4]

Payloads

Two satellites were launched in June 1994 and another two were launched in November 2000, from the space center in French Guiana.[5]

STRV 1A & 1B

STRV 1A and STRV 1B are cube-shaped micro-satellites each with a mass of 50 kg. They were launched into orbit to test new solar cells and measure static charge on its surfaces.[6]

STRV 1C & 1D

STRV 1C and STRV 1D are cube-shaped micro-satellite each with a mass of 100 kg and carry test technology devices including lithium ion batteries and a GPS receiver.[6]

References

  1. [1]
    "International Designator 1994-034". Celestrak. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  2. [2]
    "International Designator 2000-072". Celestrak. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  3. [3]
    "STRV 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  4. [4]
    "STRV Satellites Ready for Launch". About.com. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  5. [5]
    "Sat Cat". Celestrak. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  6. [6]
    "SPACEWARN Bulletin 565". NASA. Retrieved 26 June 2012.


Stub icon

This article about one or more spacecraft of the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article STRV_1C, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.