The ULTRASAT Mission, in a nutshell.
| Continous Imaging | Nearly orthogonal to sun direction |
| FOV | 210 deg2 |
| Band | 220 - 280 nm |
| Detector | Delta-doped CCDs |
| FPA | Mosaic of five 2kx4k CCDs |
| Cadence | 900 sec (3x300s) |
| Sensitivity (5 σ): | 21.5 AB mag (intergration time: 900s) |
| Alert | < 1 hr |
Partner Mission of Opportunity.
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Payload; Hosted Launch; Data Analysis/Archive. |
Flight System; Observatory Integration and Testing; Mission Operations; Host launch Integration and Testing; Science Operation. |
ULTRASAT is an Israel Space Agency (ISA) led mission that leverages long-term collaboration between the NASA PI, Shri Kulkarni and the ISA PI, Eli Waxman. JPL leads the Project for the NASA contributions: payload, hosted launch, and data analysis and archive, including systems engineering and S&MA; IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) leads the Project for the ISA contributions: Flight System, Observatory I&T, Host Launch I&T and Mission Ops.
Mission System
- 2 years mission operating in GEO Graveyard Orbit.
- Proven S/C supplier (IAI) with 100% track record of success.
- Free-flyer, 1.2m x 1.2m x 0.6m, 162 kg.
- Stares at the same patch of sky for six month intervals; 2 in the Northern Hemisphere and 1 in Southern Hemisphere.
- Continuous communications through commercial ground stations.
Hosted Launch
ULTRASAT’s “taxi” to space with Loral Space Systems provides low cost, low risk insertion via SSL’s proven Lightband system to its GEO gravey ard orbit, which is optimal for UV observations.