Urdaneta-Armsat is a series of Spanish-Armenian nanosatellites developed by the Basque company Satlantis Microsats in collaboration with the Armenian national company Geocosmos, in the CubeSat (16U) format.
| COSPAR ID | 2022-057AK |
|---|---|
| SATCAT no. | 52765 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 16U CubeSat |
| Launch mass | 16.4 kilograms (36 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 25 May 2022 |
| Rocket | Falcon-9 |
The first satellite in this series, Armsat-1, was launched into orbit by Armenia in May 2022, thus becoming the first Armenian satellite.
History
editBackground and Design
editArmenia has been seeking to develop a space program since the 2020s, particularly aiming to achieve strategic autonomy in the satellite field.[1] The country embarked on a dual program, enlisting the services of the Spanish company Satlantis Microsats in collaboration with its national company Geocosmos[2] to develop a series of research satellites called Urdaneta-Armsat.[3] Additionally, Armenia began developing a fully Armenian program to achieve strategic autonomy, including the launch of the Hayasat-1 satellite towards the end of 2023.[1][4][5]
The Urdaneta-Armsat series consists of satellites commissioned by Armenia, equipped with the Satlantis iSIM-907 optical device.[6] These satellites are intended for non-military observation purposes, such as agricultural organization and security.[7] They weigh 16.4kg and are designed to operate in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 530km.[8] The expected lifespan of these satellites is around 4 years.[9]
Urdaneta-Armsat-1
editThe first satellite of the series, named Urdaneta-Armsat-1, was launched into orbit on 25 May 2022,[3] from Cape Canaveral using a SpaceX[9] Falcon 9[10][11] rocket. It was the first Armenian satellite in orbit and was also described as the first Basque satellite, as Satlantis is a Basque company.[8]
The Armenian side expressed satisfaction with the launch and operation of Armsat-1, leading them to sign a longer contract with Satlantis.[8]
Future Developments
editAt least a second satellite is planned.[6] During the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh, the satellite captured images of areas affected by conflict, although Armenian authorities stated that it was not used for military purposes.[9] As a development, Armenia is constructing a control center within its borders to enhance its monitoring and development capabilities in relation to this satellite and future ones.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b Zellmi, Momen (2023-12-02). "Armenia Triumphs with Launch of First Domestically Produced Satellite". BNN Breaking. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "Armsat-1, le premier satellite arménien a établi un contact avec la Terre et (...) - Nouvelles d'Arménie en Ligne". www.armenews.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ a b "ArmSat-1 first Armenian satellite launched into orbit - InTech.am Hi-Tech industry updates & trends". 2022-05-26. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "Hayasat-1 Satellite, Developed in Armenia, Has Successful Launch – Asbarez.com". Archived from the original on 2023-12-03. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "First Armenian Hayasat-1 satellite launched into space | Caliber.Az". caliber.az. 2023-12-08. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ a b "Urdaneta-Armsat 1, 2". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "L'Arménie utilisera le satellite ARMSAT-1 dans divers domaines, y compris la surveillance de la sécurité". armenpress.am (in French). Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ a b c Komunikazioa (2022-06-07). "SATLANTIS announces signing of contract with Armenia for Armsat1 satellite". Red de Parques de Euskadi. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ a b c "Deputy Minister: On September 14, Armenian satellite 'ArmSat-1' captured images from Armenia's eastern border". NEWS.am TECH - Innovations and science. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ Kulu, Erik. "Urdaneta @ Nanosats Database". Nanosats Database. Archived from the original on 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "SpaceX avec la mission Transporter-5 a placé 59 satellites en orbite - 4ASpace" (in French). 2022-05-30. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
- ^ "Armenia's ARMSAT-1 operational, control center under development". armedia.am. 2023-02-11. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-08.