CAT-1

Not to be confused with Cat(1) or Cat 1 (album).
CAT-1
Mission typeVehicle evaluation
OperatorESA
COSPAR ID1979-104A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.11645
Mission duration8 orbits
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass1,602 kilograms (3,532 lb)
Start of mission
Launch dateDecember 24, 1979, 17:14:38 (1979-12-24UTC17:14:38Z) UTC
RocketAriane 1
Launch siteKourou ELA-1
End of mission
Last contact28 December 1979 (1979-12-29)
Decay date27 November 1989
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary transfer
Perigee altitude182 kilometres (113 mi)
Apogee altitude35,824 kilometres (22,260 mi)
Inclination17.6 degrees
Period631.45 minutes
Epoch23 January 1980[1]

CAT-1 (also Technological Capsule 1,[2] also Obélix[3]) was the first artificial Earth satellite launched by the European Space Agency on their own rocket, the Ariane 1. It was only intended to provide data on the launch characteristics of the new rocket and was only powered for 8 orbits.[4]

References

  1. ^ McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  2. ^ CAT-1, NSSDC, NASA
  3. ^ "N° 2994 - Rapport de M. Robert Lecou sur le projet de loi autorisant l'approbation de l'accord-cadre entre le Gouvernement de la République française et le Gouvernement de la République de l'Inde relatif à la coopération dans le domaine de l'utilisation de l'espace extra-atmosphérique à des fins pacifiques (n°2709)". www.assemblee-nationale.fr. Retrieved 1 May 2020..
  4. ^ Ariane 1 Archived 2013-05-22 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia Astronautica


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