Built
for Orbital Imaging Corporation (now GeoEye), OrbView-3 was designed to supply high-resolution
imagery of the Earth. The satellite carries a camera to take one-meter
resolution panchromatic (black-and-white) and four-meter resolution multispectral
(color and infrared) images of the entire planet.
The OrbView-3 bus design originated with the Space Test Experiment (STEP) program
in 1991 and consists of 12-sided horizontal honeycomb equipment decks and aluminum
plate or honeycomb side panels that stiffen the structure and provide additional
radiation protection for the equipment mounted inside. The bus structure is
divided into three modules (propulsion, core and payload), each of which is
constructed so components can easily be attached to each other for final assembly
and checkout.
OrbView-3 was successfully launched on June 26, 2003 aboard a Pegasus rocket.
Performance:
Orbit: 470 km inclined at 97°/470 km, sun synchronous
Launch Mass: 304 kg (670 lbs)
Solar Arrays:
Stabilization: 3-axis control
Mission life - 5 years
Status:
Mission complete, launched on June 26, 2003
Customer: ORBIMAGE
Mission: Provide high-resolution (1-M panchromatic,
4-M multispectral) imagery
