Sich 2

Spacecraft n°:

Ukrainian spacecraft n°: 4

Launch data: Designation  37794 / 11044G Launch date  17 Aug 2011 - 07:12 UT Launch site  Yasniy (Dombarovsky Missile Base) Launch vehicle  Dnepr-1 Mission  Government: Remote sensing, Ocean observation Sun-Synchronous LEO Earth orbit: Perigee / Apogee  685 x 702 km Eccentricity  1.20E-03 Inclination  98.2 deg Period  98.6 min

Spacecraft data: Prime manufactor  Yuzhnoye Platform  MS-2-8 bus Operator  State Space Agency of Ukraine (NKAU) Mass at launch  175 kg (169 kg?) Dry Mass   kg Basic shape   Dimension (m)   Equipment   Solar array  4 deployable fixed solar arrays Stabilization   Propulsion   DC power   Design lifetime  5 yrs - still active

The integration of the Sich-2 spacecraft with the launch vehicle. Credit: SSTL

Description:

• The Sich 2 is a small Earth remote sensing satellite based on Yuzhnoye's MS-2-8 micro satellite plattform. It is built under the National Space Program.

Mission details:

• Kosmotras launched a Dnepr rocket from the Yasniy spaceport carrying a cluster of small satellites on Aug 17. The Dnepr emerged from its silo at 0712 UTC and the first two stages had separated by 0716 UTC. After coast to a 700 km apogee, at 16 min after launch the third stage satellite-carrier separated its protective cover (`gas-dynamic shield', gasodinamicheskiy ekran) and then the payloads were ejected at two-second intervals.
• Sixth payload was Sich-2, a Ukrainian remote sensing satellite built by the Yuzhnoe company with a mass of 175 kg. The first six payloads were launched attached to a payload deck called `Platform A' which itself was ejected at 0728 UTC, exposing the largest payload, NigeriaSat-2.
• Will obtain medium-resolution images of Earth.