Starscan [Ball Aerospace]
Starscan (P86-2) was an experimental satellite to detect and identify radioactive material in orbit. After the discovery, that the SolarMax astronomy satellite's gamma ray instrument suffered from interference from radioactive debris originating from the soviet US-A (RORSAT) type Kosmos 1176 satellite, this project was initiated to study this radioactive material in orbit.
The satellite was to be built on a octagonal prism shaped structure with thwo deployable solar arrays. Ball Aerospace was awarded in 1987 a $43 million contract to develop the orbital insertion stage and to integrate the science instruments.
Two primary instruments and a source deployment system were planned for the StarScan satellite with secondary instruments to be added:
Launch was planned for a 1991 lift-off from Vandenberg AFB on a Titan-2(23)G rocket with Star-37FM kick stage to put the satellite into 546 km sun-synchronous circular orbit inclined at 97.5 degrees to the equatorial plane. The mission was cancelled in 1988 due to budgetary cutbacks.
Nation: | USA |
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Type / Application: | Experimental |
Operator: | DARPA, USAF STP (Space Test Program) |
Contractors: | Ball Aerospace |
Equipment: | ANDAS, ANGAS, SDS |
Configuration: | |
Propulsion: | |
Power: | 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries |
Lifetime: | 1 year (min.) |
Mass: | 3038 kg |
Orbit: | 546 km × 546 km, 97.5° |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
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Starscan (P86-2) | - | cancelled | Va SLC-4W | Titan-2(23)G [Star-37FM] |