Stella [CNES]
Stella [CNES] |
Starlette (Satellite de Taille Adaptée avec Réflecteurs Laser por les Etudes de la
Terre) and Stella are virtually identical French passive satellites launched by the Centre
National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) in 1975 and 1993, respectively. Their small size
compared to their mass gives them a much larger sensitivity to the gravitational
attraction than to the surface forces due either to the residual atmosphere at the
satellite or to radiation pressure. Both Stella and Starlette are covered with 60
identical retroreflectors.
| Nation: | France |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Geodesy |
| Operator: | CNES |
| Contractors: | CNES |
| Equipment: | 60 retroreflectors |
| Configuration: | 24 cm sphere |
| Propulsion: | none |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | 47 kg (Starlette), 48 kg (Stella) |
| Orbit: | 806 km x 1108 km, 49.82° (Starlette); 798 km x 805 km, 98.68° (Stella) |
| Satellite | Date | LS | Launcher | Remarks: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starlette (BETA) | 06.02.1975 | Ko | Diamant-B-P4 | ||
| Stella | 26.09.1993 | Ko ELA-2 | Ariane-40 H10 | with Spot 3, Healthsat 2, Kitsat 2, Eyesat, Itamsat, Posat 1 |
Last update: 27.09.2009
Contact: gunter.krebs@skyrocket.de
© Gunter Dirk Krebs