| Satellite | KickSat-2 |
|---|---|
| Spacecraft type | CubeSat |
| Units or mass | 3U |
| Status | Reentry 2019-04-02. Was semi-operational. Antenna likely failed to deploy, but Kicksats were ejected. |
| Launched | 2018-11-17 |
| NORAD ID | 44046 |
| Deployer | NRCSD-E (External NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer) |
| Launcher | Antares |
| Deployment | Deployed from Cygnus on 2019-02-14 |
| Organisation | Cornell University |
| Institution | University |
| Entity type | Academic / Education |
| Nation | US |
| Launch brokerer | Nanoracks |
| Oneliner |
Reflight of KickSat to carry and deploy 200 Sprites. |
| Description |
Reflight of KickSat. Carry and deploy 200 Sprites. A 1U avionics bus will provide power, communications, and command and data handling functions. A 2U deployer has been developed to house the Sprites. 104 Sprites will be stacked atop a spring-loaded pusher and secured by a nichrome burn wire system. Demonstrate the deployment and operation of prototype Sprite “ChipSats” (femtosatellites). The Sprite is a tiny spacecraft that includes power, sensor and communication systems on a printed circuit board measuring 3.5 by 3.5 centimeters with a thickness of a few millimeters and a mass of a few grams. ChipSats could enable new kinds of science and exploration missions, as well as dramatically lower the cost of access to space. |
| Failure cause | Antenna likely failed to deploy, but Kicksats were ejected. |
| Notes |
Crowdsourced. Reflight. Deployed from Cygnus 2019-02-14 after leaving ISS and lowering orbit. |
| Sources | [1] [2] |
| Photo sources | [1] [2] [3] |
| Keywords | Chipsats-Sprites |
| On the same launch |
Last modified: 2023-06-09
