TacSat 3 (JWS D2) [Swales]
The TacSat-3 (JWS D2) is a small technology mission of the Air Force Research Laboratory. The project is funded by the DOD's Office of Force Transformation as Phase II of a four-phased approach for developing modular spacecraft buses. The bus resulting from this effort will be used on the TacSat 3 mission to support the Advanced Responsive Tactically Effective Military Imaging Spectrometer (ARTEMIS) sensor payload also being developed by AFRL. TacSat 3's main payload is a hyperspectral sensor and the satellite platform will have a standardized avionics package whose development is being managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory. The satellite achieves a HSI ground resolution of 4 meter, which enables it to detect and identify tactical targetsIt also features a Navy Secondary Data-X Payload for IP-Based Buoy Comms.
Swales Aerospace announced in June 2006 that it has been awarded a new Task Order under its existing Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract with the Air Force Material Command, Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Directorate (AFRL/VS). Under this award, Swales designed, built and tested the Operationally Responsive Space Modular Bus (ORSMB) for the TacSat 3 mission.
TacSat 3 was the prototype for the first mission in the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) program, ORS 1.
Tacsat 3 was deorbited on 1. May 2012 after a nearly 3 year long successful mission.
Nation: | USA |
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Type / Application: | Technology, imaging |
Operator: | Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) |
Contractors: | Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL); ATK Space Systems (ex Swales) (bus) |
Equipment: | ARTEMIS |
Configuration: | ORSMB |
Propulsion: | |
Power: | 3 deployable fixed solar arrays, batteries |
Lifetime: | 6 month (design); 3 years (achieved) |
Mass: | 400 kg |
Orbit: | 420 km × 449 km, 40.4° |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
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TacSat 3 (JWS D2) | 2009-028A | 19.05.2009 | WI LA-0B | Minotaur-1 | with PharmaSat 1, HawkSat 1, CP 6, AeroCube 3 |