GEARRS 1 [NearSpace Launch]
Official name GEARRS-1
Alternative name GEARRS
Cospar ID 1998-067FZ
Norad ID 40456
Launch date 1998-11-20
Launch site TTMTR
Launch vehicle Antares-120
Country/Organization USA
Type application Technology
Operator NearSpace Launch, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
RCS size SMALL
Decay date 2015-11-08
Shape Box
Mass (kg) 4
Height (m) 0.3
Width (m) 0.1
Depth (m) 0.3
Span (m^2) 0.3
Contractors NearSpace Launch, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Propulsion None
Configuration CubeSat (3U)
Power Solar cells, batteries

GEARRS or GEARRSAT (Globalstar Experiment And Risk Reduction Satellite) is a 3U CubeSat built by NearSpace Launch in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

The satellite is to investigate, if the use of the Globalstar satellite communications network is a feasible option for the command and control of a small satellite systems and cubesats.

The satellite is based on the recent technology demonstrated by the Taylor University and NSL TSAT experiment.

GEARRS was launched on board of Cygnus CRS-2 to the International Space Station to be deployed from the Japanese airlock. It was deployed on 4 March 2015. GEARRS reentered on 8 November 2015.

A second satellite, GEARRS 2 was launched in May 2015 as a piggy-back payload on an Atlas-5(501) rocket.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
GEARRS-1 1998-067FZ 1998-11-20 TTMTR Antares-120 with Cygnus CRS-2, Flock-1b 1, ..., 28, MicroMAS, TechEdSat 4, Lambdasat
GEARRS-2 2015-025G 2015-05-20 AFETR Atlas-5(501) with X-37B OTV-4, LightSail 1, OptiCube 1, OptiCube 2, OptiCube 3, USS Langley, AeroCube 8A, AeroCube 8B, BRICSat-P, PSat A