 RatSat, with a SpaceX sticker and its mission logo | |
| Mission type | Launch demonstration |
|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX |
| COSPAR ID | 2008-048A |
| SATCAT no. | 33393 |
| Mission duration | 16 years, 1 month, 12 days (in orbit) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | SpaceX |
| Launch mass | 165 kg (364 lb)[1] |
| Dimensions | 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in length |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 28 September 2008, 23:15 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 1 |
| Launch site | Omelek Island |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 617 kilometers (383 mi)[2] |
| Apogee altitude | 635 kilometers (395 mi)[2] |
| Inclination | 9.35°[2] |
| Period | 97.09 minutes[2] |
| Epoch | 24 January 2015, 18:58:23 UTC[2] |
RatSat[1]: 184 or DemoSat[3] is an aluminum mass simulator on the fourth flight of the Falcon 1 rocket, launched on 28 September 2008. Ratsat[4] remained bolted to the second stage of the carrier rocket after reaching low Earth orbit.[5] It is an aluminium alloy chamber in hexagonal prism shape with 1.5 m (5 ft) length.[6]
The Falcon 1 launch that carried Ratsat to orbit was the first successful orbital launch of any privately funded and developed, liquid-propellant carrier rocket, the SpaceX Falcon 1, something only six nations had successfully accomplished previously.[7]
The launch, identified as Falcon 1 Flight 4, was conducted by SpaceX, and also marked the first time the Falcon 1 rocket successfully achieved orbit, after three consecutive failures on the three previous launch attempts.[8]
- ^ a b Berger, Eric (March 2, 2021). Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX. London: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 978-0-00-844562-1. OCLC 1233312066.
- ^ a b c d e "DEMOSAT/FALCON 1 Satellite details 2008-048A NORAD 33393". N2YO. 24 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 September 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
- ^ "DemoSat, NSSDC ID: 2008-048A". NASA NSSDC. 2008-09-28. Archived from the original on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
- ^ McDowell, Jonathan (2008-09-26). "Issue 601". Jonathan's Space Report. Archived from the original on 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (2008-09-27). "SpaceX to launch its fourth Falcon 1 rocket on Sunday". Spaceflight Now. Archived from the original on 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
- ^ "Press Release: SpaceX Successfully Launches Falcon 1 to Orbit". Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
sfn20080928was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Malik, Tariq; Berger, Brian (2008-08-06). "SpaceX Traces Third Rocket Failure to Timing Error". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2008-09-25. Retrieved 2008-09-28.