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Quakesat

Mission type	Earth observation
COSPAR ID	2003-031F
SATCAT no.	27845
Website
Mission duration	550 days (ended 31 December 2004)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	CubeSat
Spacecraft type	3 CubeSat
Manufacturer	Stanford University
Launch mass	5 kg (11 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	30 June 2003, 14:15:26 UTC
Rocket	Rockot/Briz-KM
Launch site	Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Site 133
Contractor	Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude	821 km (510 mi)
Apogee altitude	833 km (518 mi)
Inclination	98.70°
Period	101.40 minutes
Instruments
Magnetometer

Quakesat is an Earth observation nanosatellite based on three CubeSats. It was designed to be a proof of concept for space-based detection of extremely low frequency signals, thought by some to be earthquake precursor signals. The science behind the concept is disputed.

Mission

The students working on the project hope that the detection of magnetic signals may have value in showing the onset of an earthquake. QuakeFinder, the company that put the satellites together, is from Palo Alto, California. They are gathering data on the extremely low magnetic field fluctuations that are associated with earthquakes to help better understand this area of study. The primary instrument is a magnetometer housed in a 2 ft (0.6 m) telescoping boom.

On 30 June 2003, deployment of Quakesat was alongside other university CubeSats and one commercial CubeSat. The launch occurred on a Rokot rocket from Russia's Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

The mission was planned to last one year, but ended up lasting 1 and a half year.

See also

• List of CubeSats

References

1. "Trajectory: Quakesat 2003-031F". NASA. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
2. • John Upton (13 August 2011). "Pursuing the Grail of an Earthquake Predictor, but Facing Skeptics". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
   • John Upton (15 August 2011). "The Science of Predicting Earthquakes: U.S. Geological Survey refuses to fund controversial research into electromagnetic signals". The Bay Citizen. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 September 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
   • David, Leonard (2003). "Cubesats: On the Prowl for Earthquake Clues". Space.com. Archived from the original on 10 November 2006. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
3. Malik, Tariq (2003). "What's Shakin'? Tiny Satellite to Try and Predict Earthquakes". Space.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2008.
4. "QuakeSat". eoPortal. 12 June 2012. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.

QuakeFinder LLC Single axis search coil, small E-field dipole

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