LIGHTSAIL-A (40661)

COSPAR: 2015-025L | Alt Name: LightSail-1

DECAYED

Image

Additional Sources

Launch Details

Launch Date

May 20, 2015

Launch Site

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Launch Pad

SLC41

Launch Vehicle

Atlas V 501

Orbital Elements

NORAD ID

40661

International Designator

2015-025L

Decay Date

6/14/2015

Basic Satellite Info

Name

LIGHTSAIL-A

Alternative Name

LightSail-1

Type

Payload

Status

Decayed

Owner

TPS

Country

United States

Constellation

N/A

Related Satellites

Major Events

N/A

Summary

LIGHTSAIL-A, also known as LightSail-1, is a 3U CubeSat technology demonstration satellite owned by The Planetary Society (TPS) and manufactured by ECLIP. Launched on May 20, 2015, from the Air Force Eastern Test Range's SLC41 launch pad aboard an Atlas V 501 launch vehicle, LIGHTSAIL-A measures 0.3 meters in length with a diameter of 0.1 meters and spans up to 5.5 meters when its solar sail is deployed. It has a dry mass of 4 kilograms and was designed for testing solar sailing technology in space. The satellite's power system consists of four deployable fixed solar arrays and batteries, providing the necessary energy for operation.

Physical Characteristics

Length

0.3

Diameter

0.1

Span

5.5

Dry Mass

Launch Mass

Shape

Box+Sail

Radar Cross Section

Unknown

Visual Magnitude

Unknown

Color

Unknown

Material Composition

Unknown

Technical Details

Payload

LightSail-A

Purpose

Technology

Mission

Technology

Manufacturer

ECLIP

Life Expectancy

Unknown

Bus

Cubesat 3U

Configuration

CubeSat (3U)

Motor

None

Equipment

Solar sail

Power System

4 deployable fixed solar arrays, batteries

ADCS

Unknown

Transmitter Frequency

Unknown

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