AeroCube 4 [The Aerospace Corporation]
Official name AEROCUBE 4.5B
Alternative name Aerocube 4.5B
Cospar ID 2012-048L
Norad ID 38768
Launch date 2012-09-13
Launch site AFWTR
Launch vehicle Atlas-5(401)
Country/Organization USA
Type application Technology
Operator The Aerospace Corporation
RCS size SMALL
Decay date ON ORBIT
Period (min) 94.58
Inclination (deg) 64.66
Perigee (km) 439
Apogee (km) 558
Eccentricity 0.119358074222668
Mean motion (revs. per day) 15.2252061746669
Semi-Major axis (km) 6876.635
Raan (deg) 3.744
Arg of perigee (deg) 20.1852
Shape Box + 1 Pan
Mass (kg) 1
Height (m) 0.1
Width (m) 0.1
Depth (m) 0.1
Span (m^2) 0.3
Contractors The Aerospace Corporation
Propulsion None
Configuration CubeSat (1U)
Power 2 deployable and retractable solar arrays, solar cells, batteries

AeroCube-4 was a CubeSat technology demonstration mission within the PicoSat Program of The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA, USA. The AeroCube-4 CubeSat series of 3 spacecraft was also designated as AC4-A, AC4-B and AC4-C. Two of the Aerospace-4 CubeSats were built for a national security agency. The third CubeSat was built for the for SMC/XR (Space and Missile Systems Center/Development Planning Directorate). The 3 satellite AeroCube-4 constellation was operated by The Aerospace Corporation.

The SMC/XR AeroCube-4 was a CubeSat with a 1U form factor and a mass of ~1.2 kg that contains various ?first of a kind? mission technologies, including solar panel wings that close and open to tune the ballistic coefficient enabling efficient formation flying, three-axis attitude control to 1º absolute accuracy.

AeroCube 4A and 4B, also called the AeroCube 4.5 series, were successfully launched with AeroCube 4 and implement a smallsat communications tech demonstration.

AeroCube 4C consists a launch vehicle environment data logger, which measures launch vibration in-situ, and contains a deorbit drag device that will be mechanically deployed at the end of its primary mission (size of 0.3 m2).

All three satellites were successfully launched on an Atlas-5(401) rocket.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
AEROCUBE 4.5A 2012-048K 2012-09-13 AFWTR Atlas-5(401) with Intruder 11, Intruder 12, CINEMA 1, CSSWE, Aeneas, SMDC-ONE 2.1, SMDC-ONE 2.2, STARE A, CXBN, AeroCube 4B, AeroCube 4C, CP 5, OUTSat
AEROCUBE 4.5B 2012-048L 2012-09-13 AFWTR Atlas-5(401) with Intruder 11, Intruder 12, CINEMA 1, CSSWE, Aeneas, SMDC-ONE 2.1, SMDC-ONE 2.2, STARE A, CXBN, AeroCube 4A, AeroCube 4C, CP 5, OUTSat
AEROCUBE 4 2012-048M 2012-09-13 AFWTR Atlas-5(401) with Intruder 11, Intruder 12, CINEMA 1, CSSWE, Aeneas, SMDC-ONE 2.1, SMDC-ONE 2.2, STARE A, CXBN, AeroCube 4A, AeroCube 4B, CP 5, OUTSat