Starshine 5
Starshine 5
Starshine 5 (Student Tracked Atmospheric Research Satellite for Heuristic International Networking Equipment) is a small carried by Starshine 4 its interior and will be released into its own orbit about one minute after being deployed from Shuttle.
Comparison of the relative decay rates of the orbits of Starshine 4 and 5 will allow to derive atmospheric densities more precisely than previously.
Starshine 5 is a 10 cm hollow aluminum sphere, which will carry 31 laser retroreflectors on its surface and will be tracked by the International Satellite Laser Ranging Network (ISLR).It will have no mirrors and will thus not be naked-eye visible, in contrast to the other Starshine satellites.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Research (Atmospheric density) |
| Operator: | NASA |
| Contractors: | Bridgerland Applied Technology Center |
| Equipment: | 31 laser reflectors |
| Configuration: | 10 cm diameter hollow sphere |
| Propulsion: | None |
| Power: | None |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starshine 5 | CC LC-39 | Shuttle | with Starshine 4 |
Further Starshine missions:
