The Dove-3 and 4 mission is a technology demonstration nanosatellite for Cosmogia Inc. for remote sensing purposes based on the triple CubeSat form factor.
Dove 3 and Dove 4 are similar, but will operate from longer living sun synchronous orbits. Both satellites are licensed to collect images of the Earth and will undertake an experimental mission in an 800 km by 597 km and a 700 km circular orbit, respectively, at an inclination of 97.8°.
Dove 3 conforms to the 3U cubesat specification, with a launch mass of 5.2 kg. Basic physical dimensions are 100 mm × 100 mm × 340 mm, with two 260 mm × 300 mm deployable solar arrays. The Dove 3 load bearing structure is comprised of three 100 mm × 100 mm skeleton plates, with L rails along each 300 mm corner edge. The solar arrays are spring-loaded and burn-wire deployed. Power storage is provided by Lithium-Ion cells. The batteries will be recharged by solar cells mounted on the body of the satellite and on the two deployable solar panels. Dove 3 attitude is approximately determined using the magnetic field vector, measured by onboard magnetometers. Dove 3 attitude will be controlled by a 3-axis magnetorquer controller.
Dove 4 was carried inside the UniSat 5 satellite into orbit, but was never deployed.
