EUTELSAT 172B
Europe's first high-power all-electric telecom satellite doesn't just sit above the Pacific - it got there on robotic arms and plasma thrusters, broke records doing it, and now keeps your airplane Wi-Fi running between LA and Tokyo.
FLOATING POTENTIAL PROBE (28896)
COSPAR: 2000-078B | Alt Name: FPP
DECAYED
Image
Additional Sources
Launch Details
Launch Date
December 1, 2000
Launch Site
Launch Pad
LC39B
Launch Vehicle
Space Shuttle
Orbital Elements
NORAD ID
28896
International Designator
2000-078B
Decay Date
2/25/2006
Basic Satellite Info
Name
FLOATING POTENTIAL PROBE
Alternative Name
FPP
Type
Payload
Status
Decayed
Owner
JSC
Country
United States
Constellation
N/A
Related Satellites
Major Events
N/A
Summary
The FLOATING POTENTIAL PROBE (FPP) satellite, designated by NORAD as 28896 and identified by OBJECT_ID 2000-078B, is a United States-owned spacecraft managed by JSC. Launched on December 1, 2000, from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center using a Space Shuttle launch vehicle, it reached stability on December 7, 2000. The satellite measures 0.5 meters in diameter and spans 1.4 meters across its widest part, with a length of 0.1 meters. It has a dry mass of 23 kilograms, matching its launch mass. FPP's structure consists of a hexagonal cylindrical base with two panels and two antennas attached, giving it an RCS (radar cross section) of approximately 0.4889 square meters. The satellite was manufactured by DNE/BOHSV for the purpose of conducting floating potential measurements in space.
Physical Characteristics
Length
0.1
Diameter
0.5
Span
1.4
Dry Mass
23
Launch Mass
23
Shape
Hex Cyl + 2 Pan + 2 Ant
Radar Cross Section
0.4889
Visual Magnitude
Unknown
Color
Unknown
Material Composition
Unknown
Technical Details
Payload
Floating Potential Probe
Purpose
Unknown
Mission
Unknown
Manufacturer
DNE/BOHSV
Life Expectancy
Unknown
Bus
Unknown
Configuration
Unknown
Motor
Unknown
Equipment
Unknown
Power System
Unknown
ADCS
Unknown
Transmitter Frequency
Unknown
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