39151 - NEE-01 PEGASO

NEE-01 Pegasus was an Ecuadorian technology demonstration satellite, and Ecuador's first satellite to be launched to space. Built by the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA), it was a nanosatellite of the 1U CubeSat class. The spacecraft's instruments included a dual visible and infrared camera which allowed the spacecraft to take pictures and transmit live video from space.

The satellite was originally planned to be launched piggy-back on a Dnepr rocket, but was moved due to delays to a Chinese CZ-2D (2) launch in 2013.

The satellite operated normally until 23 May 2013 at approximately 05:38 UTC, when Pegaso passed very close to the spent upper stage of a 1985 Tsyklon-3 rocket over the Indian Ocean. While there was no direct collision between the satellite and upper stage, Pegaso is believed to have suffered a "glancing blow" after passing through a debris cloud around the Tsyklon stage and striking one of the small pieces. After the incident, the satellite was found to be "spinning wildly over two of its axes" and unable to communicate with its ground station. While efforts were made to reestablish control of Pegaso, on 28 August 2013 the decision was made by EXA and the Ecuadorian government to declare the satellite as lost.

Alternate Names

Pegaso

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2013-04-26
Launch Vehicle: Long March 2D
Launch Site: Jiuquan, Peoples Republic of China
Mass: 1.0 kg