37673 - SAC-D

SAC-D (Satelite de Aplicaciones Cientificas), an Argentinian Earth observation satellite, was launched from Vandenberg AFB on 2011 June 10 at 14:20 UT by a Delta 2 rocket. The initial orbital parameters were period = 97.82 minutes, apogee = 655.5 km, perigee = 653.3 km, inclination = 98.0 degrees on 2011 Aug 4 at 18:20:55 UTC.

The craft weighed 1350 kg. SAC-D is equipped with multiple scientific instruments from several countries including its primary instrument NASA's Aquarius sensor package. Aquarius is designed to study the salinity of the Earth's oceans by means of three radiometers and a radar scatterometer. It has a mass of 320 kg and is designed to operate for three years.

The satellite orbits the planet every 98 minutes, covering a swath 242 miles wide allowing Aquarius to accumulate entire global maps of the planet each week, unveiling how salinity changes across the entire globe month-to-month, season-to-season and year-to-year. SAC-D is expected to operate for five years. Besides Aquarius, SAC-D carries several other instruments.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2011-06-10
Launch Vehicle: Delta II
Launch Site: Vandenberg AFB, United States