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MESAT 1

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MESAT 1
NamesMESAT 1
Maine Satellite 1
MESAT1-OSCAR 122
MO-122
Mission typeCommunications
OperatorUniversity of Maine[1]
COSPAR ID2024-125G
SATCAT no.60209
Websiteumaine.edu/wisenetlab/mesat1
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftCubesat (3U)
ManufacturerUniversity of Maine
Dimensions30 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm (11.8 in × 3.9 in × 3.9 in)
Start of mission
Launch dateJuly 4, 2024,
04:04 UTC
RocketFirefly Alpha
Launch siteVandenberg SLC-2W
ContractorFirefly Aerospace
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Semi-major axis6,834 kilometres (4,246 mi)
Perigee altitude449.4 km (279.2 mi)
Apogee altitude476.8 km (296.3 mi)
Inclination97.3°
Period93.7 minutes
EpochJune 28, 2025[2]

MESAT 1, MESAT1-OSCAR 122 or MO-122 is an American university and amateur radio satellite.[3]

Mission

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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

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References

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  1. ^ "MESAT 1". NASA GSFC. Retrieved 28 June 2025. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ N2yo.com. "OBJECT G Satellite details". Retrieved 28 June 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ University of Maine. "MESAT1 (Maine's 1st Small Satellite)". Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  4. ^ AMSAT Sweden. "MESAT-1 Scheduled for June 27 2024". Retrieved 28 June 2025.
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