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Class: Technology. Destination: High Earth Orbit. Nation: Europe. Agency: European Space Agency. Manufacturer: Kayser-Threde. MAQSATs were mass model and technology satellites built by Kayser-Threde, Munich, and lofted during the test flights of the Ariane 5. MAQSAT-H was a dummy communications satellite instrumented to report the actual payload bay environment during launch. It also included the TEAMSAT technology experiment payload, developed by ESTEC. TEAMSAT ejected a subsatellite, the Young Engineers Satellite, also with several experiments. MAQSAT-B was a smaller dummy satellite in the lower bay of the SPELTRA dual launch adapter. On a later launch Maqsat-3 was a similar dynamic model of Eutelsat W2, instrumented and within the SPELTRA adapter. Typical orbit: 530 km x 26585 km at 8 degrees inclination. Associated Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5G.
MAQSAT Chronology
- 1998 October 21 - Maqsat 3 - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5G. Perigee: 1,017 km (631 mi). Apogee: 35,491 km (22,053 mi). Inclination: 7.50 deg. Period: 641.20 min.
Maqsat 3 was an instrumentation package used to monitor performance of the Ariane 5 booster. At T+12:43 the Speltra adapter cover separated revealing Maqsat-3. At T+15:14 the EPS stage Aestus engine ignited and burned until T+31:00. At this point on a normal mission the satellite would separate from the EPS, but to avoid creating space debris Maqsat remained attached to the EPS. The EPS/Maqsat-3 was placed in a 1027 km x 35863 km x 7.0 degree geostationary transfer orbit.
Bibliography and Further Reading - McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Report (Internet Newsletter), Harvard University, Weekly, 1989 to Present. Essential internet newsletter recording worldwide weekly space events. Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.
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