TUBSAT-A

Integration Test

...on ASAP

Final Integration

TUBSAT-B

Vibration Test

Launch Config.

TUBSAT-A

The Project

TUBSAT-A is a cube of 38 cm side length and a mass of 35 kg. It was launched on June, 17th 1991 on the Ariane ASAP structure from Korou together with ERS-1 and three other microsatellites. Its sun synchronus orbit has an altitude of 780km and an inclination of 98°.

The mission of TUBSAT-A is mostly technology demonstration. Experimental solar cells provide part of the energy needed, but standard cells are used on four sides of the cube. On the top you can see two L-Band patch antennas of the satellite which are also experimental. A transputer chip (Kayser-Threde) is also tested for space environment qualification.

For the devolpment of the next satellites a star sensor as well as a coil are flown. In operation the most used feature, after doing the planned technology demonstration experiments, is store and forward communications with handheld ground stations. Several Arctic and Antarctic expeditions were equipped with these devices and used them extensivly.

After now 9 years in orbit, the satellite is still complete operational.

TUBSAT A was developed and built by the Institut fuer Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik at the TU-Berlin.
More information: ILR, TU-Berlin

Project Managers:  P. Butz , B. Lübke-Ossenbeck (both 1990-1995 TU-Berlin )

 TUBSAT-B

The Project

TUBSAT-B is a box of 38 x 38 x 50 cm and a mass of 40kg. It was launched on January, 25th 1994 on a Russian Tsyclon launcher as secondary payload. The main payload was Meteor 3-6. The orbit has a height of 1250 km and a inclination of 82°.

The mission of TUBSAT-B is to test high resolution attitude control subsystems. For this reason TUBSAT-B is equiped with three first generation reaction wheels developed by TUB. Furthermore it has a star sensor on board, which is the successor of the one used in TUBSAT-A.

The payload is a 1m telescope. As imaging device the star sensor is used in camera mode.

Contact was lost after only 39 days of operations. Nevertheless almost all experiments were done successfully.

TUBSAT B was developed and built by the Institut fuer Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik at the TU-Berlin.
More information:  ILR, TU-Berlin

Project Managers: B. Lübke-Ossenbeck, P. Butz (both 1990-1995 TU-Berlin )