| Operator | AEROS Consortium |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2024-043AZ |
| SATCATno. | 59145 |
| Mission duration | 3 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 3U CubeSat |
| Payload mass | 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) |
| Dimensions | 10 cm x 10 cm x 30 cm (3U) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 4 March 2024, 22:05 (2024-03-04UTC22:05Z) (UTC) |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Space Force Base |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Period | 90 minutes |
TheAEROS MH-1 is a Portuguesenanosatellite that is currently orbiting Earth at an altitude of around 510 km.[1] Launched on 4 March 2024 from theVandenberg Space Force Base inCalifornia, it isPortugal's second ever satellite, after thePoSAT-1.[2] Its purpose is ocean mapping and observation, with particular interest in thePortuguese exclusive economic zone in the Atlantic Ocean.[3]
The AEROS MH-1 was launched to map and observe the oceans of planetEarth,[4] with particular interest in the Atlantic Ocean, since thePortuguese Exclusive Economic Zone is located there.[5] It was Portugal's second ever satellite, second only to 1993'sPoSAT-1, and its meant to be the first step towards making Portugal “a space nation by the end of the 2020s”.[6]
Work on the satellite began in 2020 and it represents an investment of 2.78 millioneuros, co-financed by 1.88 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).[7] Its name is a homage toManuel Heitor, former PortugueseMinister of Science, Technology and Higher Education.[2]
The AEROS MH-1 was launched on 4 March 2024, 14:05PTZ, from theVandenberg Space Force Base inCalifornia,[8][9] aboardSpace X'sFalcon 9, as part of theTransporter 10 mission.[3] It was first Portuguese satellite to be launched intospace in over thirty years.[10]
The satellite now orbits at an altitude of around 510 km, slightly above theInternational Space Station.[11] Communications and data collection are carried out from the island ofSanta Maria in theAzores.[12]