ARTICA Mission

The 23 June 2017 ARTICA deorbiting system has been launched by Indian launcher PSLV on board Cubesat Ursa Maior. The mission represents a technology demonstration flight for the ARTICA system. 

The host satellite is a 3U CubeSat for scientific purpouses. ARTICA system is mounted on board occupying less then the 10% of the total CubeSat volume. The objective of the demonstration flight will be the capability of the system to nominally sustain all mission operations towards the end and then deploy the 2.1 m2 sail stored. The deployed sail will permit to deorbit the satellite in less 4 months, speeding up the reentry in atmosphere of the satellite by 25 times. The satellite will then burn colliding with the earth atmosphere. 

According to data retrieved from the satellite, the first phase of the mission has been successfully concluded with ARTICA sustaining the launch and starting its internal counting after having been deployed from the PPOD.