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Space Technology Research Vehicle, or STRV, was a series of British microsatellites which operated in elliptical orbits around the Earth. The satellites were built by the Defence Research Agency at Farnborough, for the UK Ministry of Defence.[3]
| Mission type | experimental |
|---|---|
| Operator | UK Ministry of Defence |
| COSPAR ID | 1A: 1994-034B 1B: 1994-034C 1C: 2000-072C 1D: 2000-072D |
| SATCAT no. | 1A: 23125[1] 1B: 23126[1] 1C: 26610[2] 1D: 26611[2] |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | DRA |
| Launch mass | 1A & 1B: 50 kg (110 lb) each 1C & 1D: 100 kg (220 lb) each |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 1A & 1B: 07:07:19, 17 June 1994 (UTC) 1C & 1D:01:07, 16 November 2000 (UTC) |
| Rocket | 1A & 1B: Ariane 44LP 1C & 1D:Ariane 5 |
| Launch site | Guiana Space Center |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Perigee altitude | 1A & 1B: 284 km (176 mi) 1C & 1D: 615 km (382 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1A & 1B: 35,831 km (22,264 mi) 1C & 1D: 39,269 km (24,401 mi) |
| Inclination | 1A & 1B: 7.1° 1C & 1D:6.4° |
| Period | 1A & 1B: 633 min 1C & 1D: 708 min |
The series of four satellites, launched as two pairs, were designed to test new technologies in the harsh radiation environment of a geostationary transfer orbit. Each satellite had an expected 1 year life-time and carries myriad detectors, sensors and other equipment for a variety of organisations including the UK MoD, ESA and the US Department of Defense. The satellites were controlled from the DRA groundstation at Lasham in the UK.[3] Several of the STRV satellites' experiments also recorded proton and electron data as they repeatedly passed through the Van Allen Belts.[4]
Two satellites were launched in June 1994 and another two were launched in November 2000, from the space center in French Guiana.[5]
STRV 1A & 1B
STRV 1A and STRV 1B are cube-shaped micro-satellites each with a mass of 50 kg. They were launched into orbit to test new solar cells and measure static charge on its surfaces.[6]
STRV 1C & 1D
STRV 1C and STRV 1D are cube-shaped micro-satellite each with a mass of 100 kg and carry test technology devices including lithium ion batteries and a GPS receiver.[6]
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