THE D-SAT MISSION HAS ENDED
After more than three months of orbital operations, D-Sat has completed its mission by test-firing its onboard propulsive unit. We reached most of our mission goals and, most importantly, we successfully validated our technology in space. However, even if the D-Orbit Decommissioning Device onboard fired, the important milestone of a direct and controlled decommissioning was not achieved. We are now studying the mission’s data to apply the lessons learned to our next missions.
D-Sat Legacy
D-Sat has set many records in the space industry, with its completely redundant architecture, a
safe ignition system compliant with the MIL-STD-1576 standard, and a solid propellant motor with
a total impulse of 800 Ns. Our operators have been able to maintain contact with the satellite
during the spin-stabilizing, pre-firing phase, even though the satellite was rotating on its axis at
780 rounds per minute. Finally, the satellite survived an orbital maneuver with a very high trust for such a small satellite, clearing doubts about the possible impact of our product on spacecraft.
These records constitute an important legacy for the nanosat community, pushing the envelope of what is possible with the CubeSat platform.
One of our mission's goal was to have D-Sat take one picture from Space. Rather than taking just one, throughout the mission we were able to collect several shots that captured the breathtaking beauty of Earth as from above. We're happy to be able to share them with you: enjoy!
