38047 - VESSELSAT 2

VESSELSAT 2 was launched from Taiyuan on 2012 January 9 at 03:17 UT. The satellite was launched by a Long March 4B rocket and weighed 28 kg. The initial orbital parameters were period = 94.50 minutes, apogee = 501.2 km, perigee = 487.1 km, inclination = 97.5 degrees on 2012 Feb 20 at 20:49:33 UTC.

VESSELSAT 2 is the second of two VesselSat spacecraft. It carries a receiver for Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals and is designed to relay positions of ships around the world. VESSELSAT 2 was to be integrated into ORBCOMM's Next Generation (OG2) constellation of 18 AIS-enabled satellites after an in-orbit test and checkout phase. The spacecraft's services supplemented Orbcomm's next-generation communications satellites due to begin launching this year.

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2012-01-09
Launch Vehicle: Long March 4B
Launch Site: Taiyuan, Peoples Republic of China
Mass: 28.0 kg