Rocsat 1

Also called Formosat 2

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General

Designation	25616 / 99002A
Launch date	27 Jan 1999
Country of origin	Taiwan
Operator	NSPO (National Space Program Office)
Mission	Scientific: ionosphere study
Perigee/Apogee	600 km
Inclination	35°
Period	97 min
Launch vehicle	Athena #4

The satellite will be used for scientific research including ocean color imaging, experiments on ionospheric plasma and elecrodynamics, and K-band communications experiments. The K-band cannot be used because of a license problem.

Contract worth $61 million for the satellite, $19 million for its launch

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End of life

Decay

22 May 2023

Technical data

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Specifications

Prime contractor	TRW
Platform	STEP
Mass at launch	425 kg
Mass in orbit
Dimension	1.10 m diameter x 2.02 m long
Solar array	2 wings, 1.16 x 2.46 m
Stabilization	3-axis
DC power	450 W
Design lifetime	1 year

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Ocean Color Imager (OCI)

Wavebands	443 nm (+/- 4) 490 nm (+/- 4) 510 nm (+/- 4) 555 nm (+/- 4) 670 nm (+/- 4) 865 nm (+/- 5)
Swath width	691.2 km
Resolution	800 m

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Ionospheric Plasma and Electrodynamics Instrument (IPEI)

Will help scientists gain a better understanding of the ionospheric structure above Taiwan, which is of great importance in determining effects on radio communications

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Experimental Communication Payload (ECP)

Main transponders	1
Backup transponders
Power	10 W
Bandwidth	27 MHz
Coverage
EIRP max
G/T max
Polarization	circular
Frequencies	uplink: 28.25 GHz (RHCP) downlink: 14.45 GHz (LHCP)

Beacon: 19.5 GHz (1.77 W)
S-band communications, uplink at 2 kbps, downlink at 1.4 Mbps. 2 GB onboard storage

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