The Ørsted Satellite

1. The Ørsted Satellite Preparing for Denmarks First Satellite The Ørsted satellite at IABG for test The Ørsted satellite is here brought to IABG test facility and mounted at a stand which can vibrate the satellite along all 3 axes for test of its ruggedness. Final assembly of Ørsted at Vandenberg The Ørsted satellite was brought to Vandenberg AFB in November 1998. Here the team carried out the final assembly and test of the satellite. Note the signature written at the boom cannister by Her Royal Majesty, Queen Magrethe-II during her visit to the production plant in 1995. This handsome gesture was supposed to bring luck to the satellite, and so it did! Ørsted integration Early phase of the integration process conducted at TERMA (CRI) in Birkerød. The large flat box is the Star Imager computer unit. Below is seen one of the two NiCd batteries. To the left is seen the front of the boxes holding the various electronic units. Test and calibration of CPD instrument The High-Energy Charged Particle Detector (CPD) instrument was tested and calibrated at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Radiation Facility. Here the CPD instrument is mounted in a vacuum chamber connected to the 2 MeV ion and electron accelerator. Ørsted at IABG for thermal vacuum test Ørsted is placed inside the huge vacuum chamber at IABG, Germany, for thermal test during vacuum conditions. The lamps in the back of the chamber simulate solar radiation. The satellite is mounted at a table with the mast partly unfolded. The upper 2 m section is completely unfolded while the gondola is raised just a short distance above the top of the cannister. Ørsted mounted at the Delta launch vehichle During December 1998 the Ørsted satellite was mounted at the Delta-II launch vehichle. Ørsted is seen to the left. To the right is seen the SouthAfrican Sunsat mini-satellite, also around 60 kg. At the top is seen a little of the main payload, a 2.5 tons ARGOS satellite. The Ørsted 8 m coilable mast The 8 m mast that carries the OVH magnetometer at the top and the gondola holding the CSC magnetometer and SIM star imager 2 m down from the top is made of 3 glass-fibre longerons. These rods and the spacers keeping them in place are highly flexible. The entire mast including OVH cylinder and SIM/CSC gondola are coiled down to a total length of 80 cm to be stowed within a cylinder in the Ørsted body. Ready for launch of Ørsted The Delta-II vehichle carrying the ARGOS, SUNSAT and ØRSTED satellites was ready for launch in the beginning of January 1999. The first count-down for launch of the satellites from Vandenberg AFB at the West coast of USA was made 15 January 1999. In Denmark more than 100 Ørsted-related persons were gathered at the Tycho Brahe Planetarium for monitoring the count-down and launch which was transmitted via satellite in real time. The count-down, however, was scrubbed due to high winds at altitude. During the following almost 6 weeks the Delta-II launch 267 went through a record-setting number of 10 scrubbed launch attempts. Did it move, Professor ? Ørsted with unfolded mast The satellite body is mounted in a frame in the back of this photo from the test facility. At the top of the body one can faintly see the apertures of the 4 upward-looking CPD detectors. At the top of the 8 m mast is seen the cylindrical compartment holding the Overhauser (OVH) scalar magnetometer. 2 m down from the top is seen the gondola carrying the Compact Spherical Coil (CSC) vector magnetometer and the Star Imager (SIM) attitude monitor. Waiting for Ørsteds data Back in Denmark the entire nation was waiting impatiently for news from Vandenberg hoping for a successful launch of the Ørsted satellite. The team of operations engineers, programmers and scientists were waiting impatiently for Ørsted data. Finally, in the 11’th attempt we had lift-off, and the Ørsted satellite entered space at 10:29:55 UT on 23 February 1999. Photos courtesy Per Lundal Thomsen and Peter Stauning Peter Stauning. Danish Meteorological Institute. September 2002. pst@dmi.dk