Official name CHIBIS-M
Alternative name Chibis-M
Cospar ID 2011-062C
Norad ID 38051
Launch date 2011-12-21
Launch site TTMTR
Launch vehicle Soyuz-U
Country/Organization Russia
Type application Scientific, ionosphere
Operator Space Research Institute (IKI)
RCS size MEDIUM
Decay date 2014-10-15
Shape Box + 2 Pan + 1 Ant
Mass (kg) 34
Height (m) 0.6
Width (m) 0.4
Depth (m) 0.4
Span (m^2) 4.2
Lifetime 1 year (design); 2 years 8 months (achieved)
Contractors Space Research Institute (IKI)
Propulsion None
Power 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries

Chibis-M is a 40 kg microsatellite built by the Space Research Institute (IKI). The satellite conducted ionospheric research. It was launched piggy-back on the Progress-M 13M cargo craft and was deployed from the craft after the Progress left the ISS.

Chibis-M carried a plasma-wave experiment, which was aimed at the solution of a fundamental problem ? a study of the interrelation of the plasma-wave processes connected with the manifestation in the ionosphere of solar?magnetosphere?ionosphere?atmosphere connections and the parameters of space weather. The specific fundamental problem is the search for universal laws governing transformation and dissipation of plasma-wave energy in the magnetosphere-ionosphere system.

The solution of this problem was achieved employing the coordinated procedure:

  1. Study in situ of the fluctuations of electrical and magnetic field, the parameters of thermal and epithermal plasma in the ionosphere near layer F during different helio- and geomagnetic conditions.
  2. Study of the geomagnetic and geophysical parameters on the ground-based observatories with the time scales from 10?1 to 10?3 s.
  3. Study of the interrelation of electromagnetic phenomena (spectra of ULF/VLF- waves) in different regions of near-earth space by means of via the comparative analysis of the wave measurements of those carry out simultaneously on different spacecrafts and ground geophysical stations.

After 2 years and months on orbit, Chibis-M reentered still operational on 16 October 2014.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
CHIBIS-M 2011-062C 2011-12-21 TTMTR Soyuz-U with Progress-M 13M