37840 - VESSELSAT-1

VESSELSAT-1 was launched from Sriharikota on 2011 October 12 at 05:30 UT by a PSLV-C18 rocket. The 28.7 kilogram spacecraft was intended to be used to relay identification and tracking data from ships at sea. VESSELSAT-1 supplements Orbcomm's constellation of 18 Automated Identification System (AIS)-enabled satellites that are currently under construction. The satellite is equipped with two AIS receivers and provides additional capacity, higher refresh rates and improved message delivery speeds for ORBCOMM AIS users worldwide.

The initial orbital parameters were period = 102.09 minutes, apogee = 867.9 km, perigee = 847.2 km, inclination = 20.0 degrees on 2011 Nov 9 at 03:39:13 UTC.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2011-10-12
Launch Vehicle: PSLV-CA
Launch Site: Sriharikota, India
Mass: 28.7 kg