NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 2006-058A
The TacSat 2 microsatellite is the first in a series of satellites to demonstrate the objectives of the joint warfighting space (JWS) initiative.
The satellite carries a new technology instrument sponsored by the NASA New Millennium Program which develops and validates in space advanced technologies. The instrument, called the Inertial Stellar Compass (ISC), is part of the Space Technology 6 project. The ISC was developed by Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The ISC is a miniature star camera and MEMS gyro suite which will allow future small spacecraft autonomously find its orientation in space.
The satellite also contains ten other instrument packages including the Enhanced Commercial Imager, the RoadRunner On-board Processing Experiment (ROPE) the Common Data Link (CDL), the target Indicator Experiment (TIE), Autonomous Operations, the Hall Effect Thruster (HET), the Low Power Transceiver (LPT), the Integrated GPS Occultation Receiver (IGOR), the atmospheric Density Spectrometer (ADS), and an experimental solar array.
Launch Date: 2006-12-16
Launch Vehicle: Minotaur 1
Launch Site: Wallops Island, United States
Mass: 370 kg
Nominal Power: 500 W
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office