Skipper
Skipper [USU/SDL]
Skipper was a project initiated by BMDO to measure the bow-shock UV emissions from reentering bodies at different speeds and heights. The instruments and the bus were built in the USA, while the propulsion module, solar power systems and launch vehicle were built in Russia.
A wiring fault in the power system prevented the charging of the batteries, causing the mission to fail.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Research |
| Operator: | BMDO (ex SDIO) |
| Contractors: | USU/SDL (instrument module), MAI, NPO Lavochkin (bus) |
| Equipment: | 2 scanning spectrometers, 18 UV photometers |
| Configuration: | spin stabilized |
| Propulsion: | hydrazine thrusters |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | 230 kg |
| Orbit: | 813 km × 803 km, 98.6°, to be lowered to 130 km × 803 km, 98.6° |
| Satellite | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skipper | 28.12.1995 | TB | Molniya-M (Blok-2BL) | with IRS 1C |
Further SDIO / BMDO / MDA Missions missions:
