Mission type Ship tracking SATCAT no. 38047 Launch mass 28 kilograms (62 lb) | COSPAR ID 2012-001B Manufacturer LuxSpace | |
Operator LuxSpace (lessor)Orbcomm (operator) | ||
VesselSat-2 is a Luxembourgian microsatellite built and owned by LuxSpace, and operated by Orbcomm under lease. It carries a receiver for Automatic Identification System signals, used to track ships at sea. VesselSat-2 is the second of two VesselSat spacecraft, which were built by LuxSpace for Orbcomm, as replacements for the AIS capabilities of the failed Orbcomm-QL spacecraft.
VesselSat-2 was launched as a secondary payload on a Long March 4B carrier rocket which was carrying Ziyuan 3. The launch occurred at 03:17 UTC on 9 January 2012, from Launch Complex 9 at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, and was the first orbital launch of the year.
References
VesselSat-2 Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA