| Spacecraft name | MAST (Multi-Application Survivable Tether) |
|---|---|
| Form factor | CubeSat |
| Units or mass | 3U |
| Status | Was semi-operational until? Communication was achieved with one of three picosats. |
| Launched | 2007-04-17 |
| NORAD ID | 31126 |
| Deployer | P-POD (Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer) |
| Launcher | Dnepr |
| Organisation | Tethers Unlimited |
| Institution | Company |
| Entity type | Commercial |
| Country | US |
| Launch brokerer | Cal Poly |
| Partners | Stanford University |
| Oneliner |
3 tethered CubeSats with 1 km tether and middle one will crawl. |
| Description |
Perform investigations of the dynamics of tethered formations of spacecraft and to investigate the survivability of tethers in the harsh space environment. 3 tethered cubesats with 1 km tether. The middle picosatellite, called "Gadget", will then slowly crawl up and down the tether, taking pictures of the tether as it goes. Determine how quickly the tether experiences damage due to impacts by micrometeoroids and orbital debris, as well as due to erosion by atomic oxygen and UV light. In addition, all three picosatellites contain GPS receivers. |
| Sources | [1] [2] [3] |
| Photo sources | [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] |
| Keywords | Tether |
| On the same launch |
Last modified: 2023-06-08
