ESTCube-1 facts for kids
ESTCube-1 illustration
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| Mission type | Technology |
|---|---|
| Operator | University of Tartu |
| Website | http://www.estcube.eu/en/home |
| Mission duration | 12 months |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | 1.048 kilograms (2.31 lb) |
| Dry mass | 1.048 kilograms (2.31 lb) |
| Power | 3.6W |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 7 May 2013, 02:06:31 UTC |
| Rocket | Vega flight VV02 |
| Launch site | Kourou ELA-1 |
| Contractor | ESA |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | 17 Feb 2015, 10:27:00 UTC |
| Last contact | 19 May 2015 |
| Decay date | 2038*estimated |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee | 665 km |
| Apogee | 665 km |
| Inclination | 98.129 degrees |
| Period | 98.03 minutes |
ESTCube-1 was the very first satellite launched by Estonia. It was an exciting project where students from universities and high schools worked together. This special satellite was launched into space on May 7, 2013, using a Vega rocket.
ESTCube-1 was built following a special design called the CubeSat standard. This means it was a tiny satellite, also known as a nanosatellite. It was shaped like a small cube, measuring about 10x10x11.35 centimeters, which is roughly the size of a milk carton. It weighed just over 1 kilogram (about 2.3 pounds).
Launching ESTCube-1 into Space
The ESTCube-1 satellite was sent into orbit by a company called Arianespace. It rode on a Vega rocket, which took off from a launch site called ELA-1 in Kourou. The launch happened at 02:06:31 UTC on May 7, 2013. The rocket placed ESTCube-1 into an orbit about 670 kilometers (about 416 miles) above Earth.
Images for kids
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The first image of Earth taken by ESTCube-1 on May 15, 2013.
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ESTCube-1 E-sail experiment
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The structure illustration of cubesat ESTCube-1
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ESTCube-1 structure
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ESTCube-1 presentation in January 2013.
See also
In Spanish: ESTCube-1 para niños
