STPSat 1 [AeroAstro]
Official name STPSAT 1
Alternative name STPSat-1
Cospar ID 2007-006D
Norad ID 30775
Launch date 2007-03-09
Launch site AFETR
Launch vehicle Atlas-5(401)
Country/Organization USA
Type application Technology
Operator US Air Force (USAF) STP (Space Test Program)
RCS size LARGE
Decay date 2023-11-08
Shape Box + 4 Pan
Mass (kg) 170
Height (m) 1
Width (m) 0.6
Depth (m) 0.6
Span (m^2) 3
Contractors AeroAstro
Equipment SHIMMER, CITRIS, MEPSI, WSSP
Configuration Astro-200
Power 4 deployable solar arrays, body mounted solar cells, batteries

STPSat 1 is an experimental spacecraft for STP (Space Test Program), which hosted several experiments. The 3-axis stabilized spacecraft is built by AeroAstro.

STPSat 1 contained following experiments:

  • the optical SHIMMER payload
  • CITRIS, a Certo Beacon Transmitter experiment
  • MEPSI, a experiment to deploy two pico-satellites

At the end of its mission it was to deploy two MEPSI nanosatellites, but these were de-manifested shortly before launch due to Aerospace Corps funding constraints and inability to finish the pico-sats on time. The launcher itself remained on board, but was loaded with dummy masses, which were not to be deployed.

It was launched as a secondary payload from the first STP mission on an Atlas-5(401) rocket.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
STPSAT 1 2007-006D 2007-03-09 AFETR Atlas-5(401) with ASTRO, NEXTSat/CSC, CFESat, MidSTAR 1, FalconSat 3