MESAT 1
| Names | MESAT 1 Maine Satellite 1 MESAT1-OSCAR 122 MO-122 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Operator | University of Maine[1] |
| COSPAR ID | 2024-125G |
| SATCAT no. | 60209 |
| Website | umaine |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Cubesat (3U) |
| Manufacturer | University of Maine |
| Dimensions | 30 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm (11.8 in × 3.9 in × 3.9 in) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | July 4, 2024, 04:04 UTC |
| Rocket | Firefly Alpha |
| Launch site | Vandenberg SLC-2W |
| Contractor | Firefly Aerospace |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Semi-major axis | 6,834 kilometres (4,246 mi) |
| Perigee altitude | 449.4 km (279.2 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 476.8 km (296.3 mi) |
| Inclination | 97.3° |
| Period | 93.7 minutes |
| Epoch | June 28, 2025[2] |
MESAT 1, MESAT1-OSCAR 122 or MO-122 is an American university and amateur radio satellite.[3]
Mission
[edit]On 4 July 2024, MESAT 1 was launched on a Firefly Alpha launch vehicle from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States. The amateur radio transponder became operational on 20 September 2024. On 2 October 2024, the OSCAR Numbers Coordinator assigned the designation MESAT1-OSCAR-122 or MO-122 to AMSAT-NA.
MESAT 1, developed by the University of Maine, carries three experimental payloads for university research, a transmitter for commercial Globalstar, and a linear transponder provided by AMSAT for use by amateur radio operators worldwide.
The three university experiments are:
- ALBEDO: This payload investigates the effects of albedo (the fraction of solar radiation reflected back to space) on local temperatures.
- IMAGER: A remote sensing instrument for imaging shallow coastal waters to determine water quality characteristics such as turbidity and phytoplankton concentration.
- HAB: A payload for investigating atmospheric influences on harmful algal blooms.
| Frequencies[4] | |
|---|---|
| 435.81 - 435.84 MHz downlink | USB |
| 145.91 MHz - 145.94 MHz uplink | LSB |
| 435.80 MHz - 435.790 MHz Telemetry | 1200 baud BPSK |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "MESAT 1". NASA GSFC. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ N2yo.com. "OBJECT G Satellite details". Retrieved 28 June 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ University of Maine. "MESAT1 (Maine's 1st Small Satellite)". Retrieved 28 June 2025.
- ^ AMSAT Sweden. "MESAT-1 Scheduled for June 27 2024". Retrieved 28 June 2025.
External links
[edit]- AMSAT North America
- What is MESAT1 Mainesat.org
| Satellites |
|  |
|---|---|---|
 | This article about one or more spacecraft of the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |