Charlie [NanoAvionics]
Official name AII-CHARLIE
Alternative name AII-Charlie
Cospar ID 2021-006AD
Norad ID 47440
Launch date 2021-01-24
Launch site AFETR
Launch vehicle Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5)
Country/Organization USA
Type application Technology
Operator SpaceQuest, Aurora Insight → Maxar → HawkEye 360
RCS size SMALL
Decay date ON ORBIT
Period (min) 92.54
Inclination (deg) 97.33
Perigee (km) 397
Apogee (km) 401
Eccentricity 0.0050125313283208
Mean motion (revs. per day) 15.5608385563
Semi-Major axis (km) 6777.135
Raan (deg) 194.8055
Arg of perigee (deg) 323.8291
Shape Box + 2 Pan
Mass (kg) 10
Height (m) 0.3
Width (m) 0.2
Depth (m) 0.2
Span (m^2) 0.6
Contractors SpaceQuest (bus), Aurora Insight (payload)
Propulsion None
Configuration CubeSat (6U)
Power Solar cells, batteries

Bravo and Charlie are 6U CubeSats built by NanoAvionics to test and evaluate a spectrum survey payload developed by Aurora Insight.

The payload is a novel, proprietary design and is experimental in nature. The primary objective of the mission it to qualify Aurora?s payload, consisting of a proprietary spectrometer and components, and demonstrate the generation of relevant measurements of the spectral environment. The results of the experiment will inform future development of advanced instrumentation by Aurora and component development by SpaceQuest. SpaceQuest will also test the effectiveness of a new VHF ?backdoor? receiver that the company designed and built to receive executive commands and/or to reboot the satellite flight computer in the event of a system failure. SpaceQuest will test whether the receiver, with its low-cost design and reduced weight and power, has the ability to function in very small satellites. The technical challenge is to demonstrate in space that a small, low-power radio device can be used to command a spacecraft independent of its traditional TT&C radio equipment. The benefit to the small satellite community is to establish the ability to rescue a spacecraft in the event of a non-recoverable anomaly within an acceptable size, mass, budget and cost.

The satellite was launched on SpaceX' Transporter-1 multi-satellite launch on a Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) rocket.

Aurora Insight was acquired by Maxar early in 2023. This business unit was then acquired in December 2023 by HawkEye 360.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
AII-CHARLIE 2021-006AD 2021-01-24 AFETR Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with Starlink v1.0 R1-1, ..., R1-10, QPS-SAR 2, Capella 3, 4, ICEYE X8, X9, XR 1, GHGSat C2, Hawk 2A, 2B, 2C, Sherpa-FX 1, ION-SCV 002, Hiber 4, ASELSAT, PIXL 1, SOMP 2b, IDEASSat, YUSAT 1, UVSQ-SAT, V-R3x 1, 2, 3, Flock-4s 1, ..., 48, Kepler 8, ..., 15, Astrocast 0101, ..., 0105, SpaceBEE 40, ..., 75, Lemur-2 130, ..., 137, PTD 1, Prometheus-2 10, ARCE 1A, 1B, 1C
AII-BRAVO 2021-034C 2021-04-29 FRGUI Vega with Pléiades-Neo 3, NORSAT 3, ELO Alpha, Lemur-2 138, 139
AII-DELTA 2023-084BH 2023-06-12 AFWTR Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5) with W-Series 1, Skykraft Deployer 3, Skykraft 3A, ..., 3D, ICEYE X23, X25, X26, X30, GHOSt 3, Grégoire, Runner 1, Tomorrow R2, QPS-SAR 6, ÑuSat 40, ..., 43, Aces 1, ..., 4, HOTSAT 1, AFR, DROID.001, MuSat 1, ION-SCV 011, Outpost Mission 1, EPICHyper 2, Kelpie 2, Spei Satelles, ELO 4, MRC-100, Unicorn 2I, SATLLA 2I, URESAT 1, Istanbul, ROM 2, Orbiter SN3, Otter Pup, MDQSAT 1C, 1D, Pleiades-Squared, GEI-SAT Precursor, XVI, AII-Delta, Ayris 1, 2, EIVE, Lemur-2 166, 167, 168, MISR-A 1, MISR-B 2, Tiger 4, FOSSASat FEROX 1, ..., 4, SpaceBEE 168, ..., 179