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Ex-Alta 2
Ex-Alta 2 [University of Alberta]
Ex-Alta 2 (Experimental Albertan 2) is a Canadian 3U-CubeSat designed by the Department of Physics of the University of Alberta.
Ex-Alta 2's mission is:
- to expand the Uinversity of Alberta's open-source platform to include open-source satellite software, electronics, and mechanical designs to increase Canadian and global access to space.
- to evaluate an imaging instrument designed to collect data for predicting, tracking, and monitoring the impact of wildfires on vegetation and land. Iris is a multispectral imaging payload. Iris will contain two optical sensors that will collect scientific data in the blue, red, near-infrared, and short-wave infrared wavelength bands. We hope to demonstrate the ability to collect scientifically useful data for wildfire research in the visible and near-infrared and short-wave infrared bands from a CubeSat platform using this instrument.
- to fly a digital flux-gate magnometer based on Ex-Alta 1's design, which is a device designed to monitor and better understand the effects of space weather on our communications systems.
- to fly a MIDI audio transmission setting that will be used for outreach activities..
It is part of a constellation consisting of three satellites: Ex-Alta 2, YukonSat, and AuroraSat. Together, they form a common mission referred to as the Northern SPIRIT Consortium.
The satellite is to be launched onboard of Dragon CRS-27 towards the ISS, from where it will be deployed.
| Nation: | Canada |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Technology, thermospheric research |
| Operator: | University of Alberta |
| Contractors: | University of Alberta |
| Equipment: | Digital fluxgate magnetometer |
| Configuration: | CubeSat (3U) |
| Propulsion: | None |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | 3 months |
| Mass: | 4 kg |
| Orbit: | 400 km × 400 km, 51.6° (typical) |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex-Alta 2 | 1998-067VE | 15.03.2023 | CCK LC-39A | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | with Dragon CRS-27, STP-H9, ARKSAT 1, LightCube, AuroraSat, YukonSat, NEUDOSE |
References:
- Abigail Hoover, Thomas Ganley, Charles Nokes, Katelyn Ball, Joshua Lazaruk, Callie Lissinna, Michael Lipsett, Ian R. Mann, Steven Knudsen, Duncan Elliott, Patrick Gall, Matthew Dares, Francis Reid, Brian Horton: Northern SPIRIT Consortium- Canadian Collaboration through Student-led CubeSat Constellation
- IARU: Ex-Alta 2
