ORCA is a 6U CubeSat Department of Defense payload sponsored through Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and was built by SEOPS and Blue Canyon Technologies.
ORCA uses a 6U CubeSat satellite to demonstrate satellite technologies including radio frequency (RF) for communication between spacecraft and from space to ground. This technology supports increased satellite applications that increase the need for automated ground control.
ORCA 1 was launched on board of Dragon CRS-18 and transfered on the ISS to the SEOPS Slingshot deployer on Cygnus CRS-11. It was deployed on 8 August 2019 after Cygnus CRS-11 departed from the ISS.
ORCA 2 and ORCA 8 were launched on the Dragon CRS-19 mission to the ISS, where they were mounted to the SEOPS-2 deployer on Cygnus CRS-12 to be deployed above the ISS orbit.
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Technology |
| Operator: | DARPA |
| Contractors: | SEOPS, Blue Canyon Technologies (bus) |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | CubeSat (6U) |
| Propulsion: | |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: | 458 km × 473 km, 51.64° (#2); 459 km × 473 km, 51.64° (#8) |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORCA 1 (SEOPS-ORCA) | 2019-022H | 25.07.2019 | CC SLC-40 | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | with Dragon CRS-18, IDA 3, RFTSat 1, Quantum Radar 3, NARSScube 2 | |
| ORCA 2 | 2019-071Q ? | 05.12.2019 | CC SLC-40 | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | with Dragon CRS-19, HISUI, CIRiS, MiniCarb, SORTIE, VPM, CryoCube 1, QARMAN, AztechSat 1, EdgeCube, MakerSat 1, ORCA 8 | |
| ORCA 6 | 2021-013E | 20.02.2021 | WI LC-0A | Antares-230+ | with Cygnus CRS-15, Lawkanat 1, Gunsmoke-J 2, ORCA 7, IT-SPINS, TAU-SAT 1, MYSAT 2, STARS-EC, OPUSAT 2, RSP 01, WARP 01, Maya 2, Guaranisat 1, Tsuru, ThinSat 2A, ..., 2I | |
| ORCA 7 | 2021-013C | 20.02.2021 | WI LC-0A | Antares-230+ | with Cygnus CRS-15, Lawkanat 1, Gunsmoke-J 2, ORCA 6, IT-SPINS, TAU-SAT 1, MYSAT 2, STARS-EC, OPUSAT 2, RSP 01, WARP 01, Maya 2, Guaranisat 1, Tsuru, ThinSat 2A, ..., 2I | |
| ORCA 8 | 2019-071R | 05.12.2019 | CC SLC-40 | Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) | with Dragon CRS-19, HISUI, CIRiS, MiniCarb, SORTIE, VPM, CryoCube 1, QARMAN, AztechSat 1, EdgeCube, MakerSat 1, ORCA 2 |
