| Mission type | Astronomy |
|---|---|
| Operator | Graz University of Technology |
| COSPAR ID | 2013-009F |
| SATCATno. | 39091 |
| Mission duration | Elapsed: 12 years, 11 months, 16 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | GNB |
| Manufacturer | University of Toronto |
| Launch mass | 7 kilograms (15 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 25 February 2013, 12:31 (2013-02-25UTC12:31Z) UTC |
| Rocket | PSLV-CA C20 |
| Launch site | Satish DhawanFLP |
| Contractor | ISRO UTIAS |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 776 kilometres (482 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 790 kilometres (490 mi) |
| Inclination | 98.62 degrees |
| Period | 100.37 minutes |
| Epoch | 8 November 2013, 11:26:32 UTC[1] |
TUGSAT-1, also known asBRITE-Austria andCanX-3B, is the firstAustriansatellite. It is anoptical astronomy spacecraft operated by theGraz University of Technology as part of the internationalBRIght-star Target Explorer programme.
TUGSAT-1 was manufactured by theUniversity of Toronto based on theGeneric Nanosatellite Bus, and had a mass at launch of 7 kilograms (15 lb)[2] (plus another 7 kg for the XPOD separation system). The spacecraft is cube-shaped, with each side measuring 20 centimetres (7.9 in).[3] The satellite will be used, along with five other spacecraft, to conductphotometric observations of stars withapparent magnitude of greater than 4.0 as seen from Earth.[4] TUGSAT-1 was one of the first two BRITE satellites to be launched, along with the Austro-CanadianUniBRITE-1 spacecraft. Four more satellites, two Canadian and two Polish, were launched at later dates.
The TUGSAT-1 spacecraft was launched through the University of Toronto'sNanosatellite Launch System programme, as part of the NLS-8 launch, along withUniBRITE-1 andAAUSAT3.[5] The NLS-8 launch was subcontracted to theIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who placed the satellites into orbit using aPolar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in the PSLV-CA configuration, flying from theFirst Launch Pad at theSatish Dhawan Space Centre.[6] The NLS spacecraft were secondary payloads on the rocket, whose primary mission was to deploy the Franco-IndianSARAL ocean research satellite. Canada'sSapphire andNEOSSat-1 spacecraft, and the United Kingdom'sSTRaND-1, were also carried by the same rocket under separate launch contracts.[2] The launch took place at 12:31 UTC on 25 February 2013, and the rocket deployed all of its payloads successfully.[7]
