Picard (satellite)
| Mission type | Solar research |
|---|---|
| Operator | CNES |
| COSPAR ID | 2010-028A |
| SATCAT no. | 36598 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Myriade |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 June 2010, 14:42:21 UTC |
| Rocket | Dnepr |
| Launch site | Dombarovsky, Site 370/13 |
| Contractor | ISC Kosmotras |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 4 April 2014 UTC |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
PICARD is a satellite dedicated to the simultaneous measurement of the absolute total and spectral solar irradiance, the diameter and solar shape, and to the Sun's interior probing by the helioseismology method. These measurements obtained throughout the mission allow study of their variations as a function of solar activity. It launched, along with the Prisma spacecraft, on 15 June 2010 on a Dnepr launcher from Dombarovskiy Cosmodrome, near Yasny, Russia. The mission, originally planned for two years, ended on 4 April 2014.