TROPICS Pathfinder

retired

Earth ObservationLEOCOSPAR 2021-059YLaunched 6/30/2021

Admin Edit

Mission & Launch

Launch Mission: Transporter-2
Launch Vehicle: Falcon 9 FT5
Launch Date: 6/30/2021
Last Contact: 6/22/2024

Orbit & Mass

Orbit Class: LEO
Altitude: 530 km
Inclination: 97.51 deg
Dry Mass: 4 kg
Total Mass: 4 kg

Payload Classification

Mission Type: Earth Observation
Payload Category: EOSCI
Payload Class: A

Organizations

Operator: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Manufacturer: Blue Canyon Technologies

Registry

COSPAR ID: 2021-059Y
UN Registration: ST/SG/SER.E/1024

Track

Mentions

5

All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.

TROPICS Pathfinder, a prototype satellite for the TROPICS program, launched in 2021.

GeneralPlanValue 3.6Aug 7, 2023TROPICS cubesat constellation ready for hurricane season

NASA tested the TROPICS microwave radiometer on an experimental cubesat, TROPICS Pathfinder, launched in 2021.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0Jun 9, 2022Astra ready for first of three NASA TROPICS launches

A TROPICS pathfinder cubesat launched in June 2021 on the SpaceX Transporter-2 rideshare flight is being used to confirm instrument operations, communications, and data processing for TROPICS.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.0Dec 15, 2021Four NASA Earth Science missions to launch in 2022

TROPICS Pathfinder is identical to the six TROPICS satellites that Astra will launch on its Rocket 3 small launch vehicle in 2022.

PlanCapabilityGrowthRelationshipsValue 4.0Jun 30, 2021SpaceX launches second dedicated rideshare mission

NASA’s TROPICS Pathfinder on Transporter-2 deployed PlanetiQ’s GNOMES-2 payload.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Jun 30, 2021UPDATE: The SpaceX Transporter-2 Mission Launches Without A Hitch