ALSAT-1[2] is the first Algerian satellite and it is part of a group of satellites collectively known as the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC).[3][4] The satellite was built by a group of engineers from Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) and Algerian Centre National des Techniques Spatiales (CNTS). It was the first DMC satellite to be launched of the five to seven that are planned. The DMC was the first satellite constellation designed for that objective. The launch took place on 28 November 2002 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia on a Kosmos-3M launcher in -20 degree Celsius weather. It completed its mission after seven years and nine months in August 2010. The satellite was designed to operate for five years.[5]
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Mission type | Earth observation |
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Operator | CNTS / SSTL |
COSPAR ID | 2002-054A[1] |
SATCAT no. | 27559![]() |
Mission duration | 7 years and 9 months |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | SSTL |
Launch mass | 88 kilograms (194 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 28 November 2002, 06:07:00 (2002-11-28UTC06:07Z) UTC |
Rocket | Kosmos-3M |
Launch site | Plesetsk Cosmodrome |
End of mission | |
Deactivated | August 2010 |
Orbital parameters | |
Regime | Sun synchronous |
Periapsis altitude | 700 kilometres (430 mi) |
Apoapsis altitude | 700 kilometres (430 mi) |
Inclination | 98 degrees |
Period | 98.5 min |
AlSat-1 is built on the SSTL-100 platform. The onboard instrumentation consists of two banks with three Earth imaging cameras each that, in total, has a resolution of 32 meters in three spectral bands (NIR, red, and green). The imaging swath of the cameras is 600 km. The satellite was constructed in a fifteen-month time period by the British and Algerians, of which eleven Algerian engineers were trained by SSTL.[6] The satellite uses resistojets for propulsion, and butane as its propellant. The resistojets provide more than 20 m/s of delta velocity.[2]
This satellite carried the first Slim 6 Line Imager. The imaging opportunities for Algeria is one per day, for two or three days out of five days. During the first three months of operations, more than 80 images were transmitted back to Earth.[6][2]
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Satellites |
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Launch centers |
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Institutions |
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Astronomy |
← 2001 · Orbital launches in 2002 · 2003 → | |
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USA-164 | INSAT-3C | Tsubasa · DASH · VEP-3 | HESSI | Iridium 90 · Iridium 91 · Iridium 94 · Iridium 95 · Iridium 96 | EchoStar VII | Intelsat 904 | Kosmos 2387 | Envisat | STS-109 | TDRS-9 | GRACE | Progress M1-8 | Shenzhou 3 | JCSAT-8 · Astra 3A | Intelsat 903 | Kosmos 2388 | STS-110 (ITS S0) | NSS-7 | Soyuz TM-34 | SPOT-5 · Idefix | Aqua | DirecTV-5 | Feng Yun 1D · Hai Yang 1A | Ofek-5 | Kosmos 2389 | Intelsat 905 | STS-111 (Leonardo MPLM) | Ekspress A1R | Galaxy 3C | Iridium 97 · Iridium 98 | NOAA-17 | Progress M-46 | CONTOUR | Stellat 5 · N-STAR c | Kosmos 2390 · Kosmos 2391 | Kosmos 2392 | Hot Bird 6 | EchoStar VIII | Atlantic Bird 1 · MSG-1 | Intelsat 906 | USERS · Kodama | METSAT | Tsinghua 2 | Hispasat 1D | Progress M1-9 | Nadezhda 7 | STS-112 (ITS S1) | Foton-M No.1 | INTEGRAL | Zi Yuan 2B | Soyuz TMA-1 | Eutelsat W5 | STS-113 (ITS P1 · MEPSI 1A · MEPSI 1B) | Astra 1K | AlSAT-1 · Mozhayets 3 · Rubin-3 | TDRS-10 | Hot Bird 7 · Stentor · MFD-A · MFD-B | ADEOS II · Kanta Kun · FedSat · µ-LabSat 1 (RITE 1 · RITE 2) | NSS-6 | TrailBlazer-2001 STA · Saudisat 1C · LatinSat A · LatinSat B · UniSat 2 · Rubin 2 | Kosmos 2393 | Kosmos 2394 · Kosmos 2395 · Kosmos 2396 | Shenzhou 4 | Nimiq 2 | |
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in brackets. |