Norad ID: 41732
| Spacetrack Directory Name | 3CAT-2 |
| Orbit launches |
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| Deorbitation |
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| Country/organisation of origin | Hiszpania (SPN) |
| Starting point | JSC (Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China) |
| Categories | |
| Perigee | 471 km |
| Apogee | 491 km |
Perform ocean altimetry by means of Global Navigation Satellite Systems Reflectometry (GNSS-R). The main payload is the novel dual-band altimeter P(Y) & C/A ReflectOmeter (PYCARO). Also star tracker Mirabilis and experimental magnetometer for eLISA. Uses FAPEC, a powerful data compressor. PYCARO reflectometer is designed to compare a direct signal from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou with the same signal reflected to Earth. PYCARO therefore operates as what is called a bistatic radar, i.e. it does not emit a signal but merely captures the signals emitted by other systems. This technique is known as GNSS-R, and can be used to obtain data on ocean altimetry, sea conditions and soil moisture, among other applications.
satellite 3CAT-2 Date of exalting 15.08.2016y.