3-Diamonds [Sky and Space Global]
Official name DIAMOND BLUE
Alternative name Blue Diamond
Cospar ID 2017-036X
Norad ID 42786
Launch date 2017-06-23
Launch site SRI
Launch vehicle PSLV-XL
Country/Organization UK, Israel, Australia
Type application Communication M2M/IoT
Operator Sky and Space Global
RCS size SMALL
Decay date 2024-04-23
Shape Box
Mass (kg) 4
Height (m) 0.3
Width (m) 0.1
Depth (m) 0.1
Span (m^2) 0.3
Contractors GOMSpace
Propulsion None
Configuration CubeSat (3U)
Power Solar cells, batteries

The three 3 Diamonds satellites are a pathfinders of 3U CubeSat size for Sky and Space Global's 200 Satellite LEO constellation.

Sky and Space Global was planning a network of nanosatellites for narrowband communications that it expected to cost $160 million or less to complete in total. The company, located in the U.K., Israel and Australia, has fully funded the first three satellites to precede an initial constellation of 200 nanosatellites. The initial constellation focused on equatorial coverage from 15 degrees south latitude to 15 degrees north.

The three pathfinder cubesats were built by GOMSpace.

The three pathfinder satellites were launched in 1Q 2017 as secondary payloads on an Indian PSLV-XL. For the constellation, consisting of larger Pearl satellites, Sky and Space Global has contracted four launches of Virgin Galctics LauncherOne with an unspecified number of satellites into a low inclination orbit.

In September 2017, the company announced, they have used the three pathfinder satellites to transmit a voice call, as well as text and images.

Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
DIAMOND RED 2017-036U 2017-06-23 SRI PSLV-XL with Cartosat 2E, NIUSAT, CE-SAT 1, Max Valier Sat, Venta 1, CICERO 6, Lemur-2 34, ..., 41, Blue Diamond, Green Diamond, COMPASS 2, InflateSail, LituanicaSAT 2, URSA MAIOR, NUDTSat, Pegasus, UCLSat, VZLUsat 1, D-Sat, PACSCISAT, Aalto 1, ROBUSTA 1B, SUCHAI, skCUBE, IDEA
DIAMOND GREEN 2017-036W 2017-06-23 SRI PSLV-XL with Cartosat 2E, NIUSAT, CE-SAT 1, Max Valier Sat, Venta 1, CICERO 6, Lemur-2 34, ..., 41, Blue Diamond, Red Diamond, COMPASS 2, InflateSail, LituanicaSAT 2, URSA MAIOR, NUDTSat, Pegasus, UCLSat, VZLUsat 1, D-Sat, PACSCISAT, Aalto 1, ROBUSTA 1B, SUCHAI, skCUBE, IDEA
DIAMOND BLUE 2017-036X 2017-06-23 SRI PSLV-XL with Cartosat 2E, NIUSAT, CE-SAT 1, Max Valier Sat, Venta 1, CICERO 6, Lemur-2 34, ..., 41, Green Diamond, Red Diamond, COMPASS 2, InflateSail, LituanicaSAT 2, URSA MAIOR, NUDTSat, Pegasus, UCLSat, VZLUsat 1, D-Sat, PACSCISAT, Aalto 1, ROBUSTA 1B, SUCHAI, skCUBE, IDEA