22824 - STELLA

STELLA was a 48 kg French satellite that was launched along with SPOT 3. It was a dense sphere of uranium alloy with 60 laser reflectors on the surface. Reflected laser beams enabled accurate geodetic measurements for the determination, with an accuracy of 1 cm, of the geoid, of oceanic and terrestrial tides, and of tectonic movements. It joined its still operational twin, Starlette, that was launched in 1975.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 1993-09-26
Launch Vehicle: Ariane
Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana
Mass: 48.0 kg