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Hermes

retired
CommunicationsGEOCOSPAR 1976-004ALaunched 1/17/1976
Admin Edit
Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
CTS
Launch Vehicle
Delta 2914
Launch Date
1/17/1976
Last Contact
12/8/1979
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
GEO
Altitude
35,786 km
Inclination
0.06 deg
Dry Mass
311 kg
Total Mass
685 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Communications
Payload Category
COM
Payload Class
C
Organizations
Operator
Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC)
Manufacturer
Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC)
Registry
COSPAR ID
1976-004A
UN Registration
A/AC.105/INF.342
Track
Mentions
24
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
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Dassault Aviation has worked on the Rafale fighter, the Falcon business jet family, the Hermes spaceplane, and the IXV reentry demonstrator.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Apr 22, 2026Dassault selecciona la propulsión de Arkadia Space para el avión espacial europeo Vortex
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Hermes had a 200W transmitter tube, while the norm at the time was 20W, and it was powered by a 1 KW solar array.

CapabilityValue 4.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Hermes was the first satellite communications satellite to use the new 12/14 GHz band.

CapabilityValue 4.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

The European Space Agency provided the 1200 watts solar panels for Hermes.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

In 1987, Communications Minister Flora MacDonald accepted an Emmy awarded to the Department of Communications and NASA for their joint role in developing Ku-band satellite technology through the Hermes program.

CapabilityValue 4.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Hermes was the first GEO communications satellite to be launched with spin stabilization and transformed into 3-axis stabilization while in GEO.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.5Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Hermes was considered the most powerful communications satellite of its day at the time of its launch.

CapabilityValue 2.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Hermes was manufactured by the Communications Research Centre Canada and was launched on January 17, 1976.

CapabilityPlanValue 3.5Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Hermes was the first to use Field Effect transistors in space, reducing noise levels in its receivers and enabling small portable uplinks.

CapabilityValue 4.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

The Communications Technology Satellite (CTS), also known as Hermes, was announced on April 20, 1971, as a joint mission between Canada’s Department of Communications and NASA.

GeneralRelationshipsValue 3.5Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Canada designed and manufactured the Hermes satellite, while NASA tested, launched, and operated it.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

The Hermes program played a major role in the development of the Canadian space industry by transferring space technology from the Communications Research Centre to Canadian industries.

RelationshipsCapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Hermes was the first GEO communications satellite to use a large deployable sun tracking solar array, allowing 100% of the solar cells to point at the sun at all times.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Hermes was designed for a two-year lifespan and was used for various experiments until November 1979.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.0Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Hermes was the first 3-axis stabilized communications satellite in geostationary orbit (GEO), becoming the standard design configuration for all commercial GEO satellites.

CapabilityGeneralValue 3.5Jan 16, 2026Before the Canadarm, there was Hermes: Canada’s 50-year space legacy

Researchers at the INGV stand will guide visitors towards payloads HERMES and SUN TRACKER, which are part of missions at extreme altitudes.

GeneralValue 2.0Dec 4, 2025NSE 2025 porta a Fiera Roma un laboratorio del futuro spaziale

Small winged spacecraft have a limited record of success, with the European Space Agency's Hermes spaceplane and the US Air Force's Dyna-Soar both canceled during development.

GeneralValue 2.0Nov 10, 2025Blue wings into space: the Air Launched Sortie Vehicle

Equipped with the HERMES X-ray detector, the nanosatellite will scan the cosmos for gamma ray bursts.

CapabilityValue 4.0Sep 26, 2025Selfie satellite completes mission milestone for Australia

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen stated that Europe would have been better prepared for space if they had developed the Hermes crewed space vehicle 25 years ago.

GeneralValue 1.5Dec 4, 2023Europe’s tentative step towards human spaceflight

Speedbird Aero has formed strategic alignments with leading Latin American companies such as iFood, ABInbev, B2W, and Hermes Pardini.

RelationshipsValue 4.0Jul 1, 2021Speedbird Aero signs multi-phase integration project with ParaZero for new fleet of autonomous delivery drones