NEE-01 Pegaso
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| Mission type | Technology demonstration |
|---|---|
| Operator | Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency |
| COSPAR ID | 2013-018B |
| SATCAT no. | 39151 |
| Website | pegaso |
| Mission duration | Design: 1 year Elapsed: 3 years, 10 months, 2 days |
| Orbits completed | 18,218 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 1U CubeSat |
| Manufacturer | Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency |
| Launch mass | 1.266 kg (2.79 lb) |
| Dimensions | 10×10×75 cm (3.9×3.9×29.5 in) |
| Power | 107 watts maximum |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 26 April 2013, 04:13 UTC |
| Rocket | Long March 2D |
| Launch site | Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-2 |
| Entered service | 5 May 2013 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous |
| Semi-major axis | 7,008.94 km (4,355.15 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.001615 |
| Perigee | 619.48 km (384.93 mi) |
| Apogee | 642.12 km (398.99 mi) |
| Inclination | 97.9954 degrees |
| Period | 97.33 minutes |
| Mean motion | 14.79 |
| Epoch | 10 September 2016, 11:18:12 UTC |
NEE-01 Pegaso was an Ecuadorian technology demonstration satellite, and Ecuador's first satellite launched to space. Built by the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA), it is a nanosatellite of the single-unit CubeSat class. The spacecraft's instruments include a dual visible and infrared camera which allows the spacecraft to take pictures and transmit live video from space.
After the completion of its HERMES-A ground station in April 2010, EXA authorised the construction of Ecuador's first satellite. A number of restrictions and demands were imposed on the project: EXA was solely responsible for the spacecraft design and technology research, all construction had to take place within Ecuador, the project must be "future-enabling" and result in a technological breakthrough, and its mission must be educational in nature. The completed Pegaso was presented to the public on 4 April 2011. All research and construction of the satellite was performed by Ecuadorian personnel at a cost of US$30,000. Funding for testing and launch services was provided by the Ecuadorian Defense Ministry.
While originally planned to be orbited by a Russian Dnepr, delays with the rocket forced EXA to move the satellite's launch to China.Pegaso was eventually launched as a secondary payload aboard a Chinese Long March 2D from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center's SLS Pad 2 on 26 April 2013, 04:13 UTC. It was placed into an elliptical orbit around Earth of approximately 600 by 900 kilometres (370 by 560 mi).
The primary objective of Pegaso was to operate in space and transmit spacecraft telemetry for at least one year. In that time, it was intended to test various on-board systems and technologies, as well as serve as an educational tool for grade school students and undergraduates.
The satellite's primary instrument is a 720p HD camera, provided by EarthCam, capable of recording in both visible and infrared light. This video, along with telemetry and other data, was broadcast from the spacecraft to the HERMES-A ground station via a three-watt television transmitter. It was meant to allow the public to view live video of the Earth from orbit and give researchers the capability to search for near-Earth objects.
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