SSOT (satellite)

The Satellite System for Terrestrial Observation, Sistema Satelital para Observación de la Tierra (SSOT), also known as FASat-Charlie, is a Chilean satellite which was launched on December 16, 2011. The objective of the SSOT is to have a satellite system for the observation of Earth based on international cooperation.

SSOT
Mission typeEarth imaging
OperatorFACh
COSPAR ID2011-076E
SATCAT no.38011
Spacecraft properties
BusMyriade
ManufacturerAirbus (formerly Astrium)
Launch mass117 kilograms (258 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date17 December 2011, 02:03:48 (2011-12-17UTC02:03:48Z) UTC
RocketSoyuz-STA/Fregat
Launch siteKourou ELS
ContractorArianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude629 kilometres (391 mi)
Apogee altitude630 kilometres (390 mi)
Inclination97.88 degrees
Period97.17 minutes
Epoch25 January 2015, 03:18:11 UTC

The project was commissioned by the Ministry of Defense from the European space manufacturer EADS Astrium - based in Toulouse, France - and had an acquisition cost of 72.5 million dollars, according to the contract signed on July 25, 2008. The Soyuz rocket was used to put the satellite into orbit, which was launched in French Guiana from the spaceport of Kourou, currently used by the European Space Agency.

SSOT is a Miniaturized satellite built on the Myriade satellite bus by Astrium (now Airbus). It was part of a six-satellite payload along with Pléiades-HR 1, ELISA 1, ELISA 2, ELISA 3 and ELISA 4.