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Parasol

retired
Earth ObservationLEOCOSPAR 2004-049GLaunched 12/18/2004
Admin Edit
Mission & Launch
Launch Mission
Helios-2A/ASAP
Launch Vehicle
Ariane 5G+
Launch Date
12/18/2004
Last Contact
12/18/2013
Orbit & Mass
Orbit Class
LEO
Altitude
658.5 km
Inclination
98.08 deg
Dry Mass
110 kg
Total Mass
110 kg
Payload Classification
Mission Type
Earth Observation
Payload Category
EOSCI
Payload Class
C
Organizations
Operator
French Space Agency (CNES)
Manufacturer
Airbus
Registry
COSPAR ID
2004-049G
UN Registration
ST/SG/SER.E/468
Track
Mentions
4
All verified mentions of this spacecraft in source documents.
0.0-5.0
Actions

During Operation Parasol, Firefly repurposed Blue Ghost’s high-gain antenna as a sunshade by gimbaling the hardware to protect the top deck from thermal overload.

CapabilityPlanValue 4.2Feb 23, 2026Satellite Technology of the Year Nominees for 2025

The lander survived extreme temperature variations in part due to 'Operation Parasol,' which involved using its antenna for shade against the heat.

CapabilityValue 3.6Sep 23, 2025Firefly Earns Extra $10M For Blue Ghost Data

Ingenieros en Estec completarán la sonda conectando sus paneles solares y parasol.

PlanCapabilityValue 3.6Sep 12, 2025La sonda buscaplanetas europea Plato inicia sus pruebas cruciales antes del lanzamiento

Los ingenieros montarán el módulo combinado de parasol y paneles solares en las próximas semanas.

PlanValue 2.6Sep 12, 2025La sonda buscaplanetas europea Plato inicia sus pruebas cruciales antes del lanzamiento