Clementine

France

Spacecraft nº:

France spacecraft nº: 45

Launch data:

Designation 25978 / 99064B
Launch date03 Dec 1999 - 16:23 UT
Launch site Ko, ELA-2
Launch vehicle: Ariane-40 (V124)
MissionMilitary: ELINT Sigint
LEO Sun-Synchronous Earth orbit on:
Perigee / Apogee 647 x 664 km
Eccentricity 1.21E-03
Inclination 98 deg
Period 97.84 min

Owned by DGA (more precisely it is operated by the centre electronique de l'armement based in Rennes). This satellite is said to be similar to Cerise but operating in different frequency bands.

Note: there is another spacecraft named Clementine. This is not an earth satellite, therefore not documented in this encyclopedia. The other Clementine was a Deep Space Program Science Experiment aimed to the moon.

To catalog radio sources between 20 MHz and 1 GHz. (should cost $18 million).

Specifications

Prime contractorAlcatel Space (with Thomson)
Platform  
Operator Centre Electronique de l'Armement
Mass at launch-
Dry mass  50 kg
Dimension  
Solar array  
Stabilization  
DC power  205 W
Design lifetime  

Intelligence gathering, part of an experimental eavesdropping program.

Ref.: #15, #226 - update: 08.02.10 Home