| Operator | AEROS Consortium |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2024-043AZ |
| SATCAT no. | 59145 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 3U CubeSat |
| Payload mass | 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) |
| Dimensions | 10 cm x 10 cm x 30 cm (3U) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 4 March 2024, 22:05 (2024-03-04UTC22:05Z) (UTC) |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Space Force Base |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Period | 90 minutes |
The AEROS MH-1 is a Portuguese nanosatellite that is currently orbiting Earth at an altitude of around 510 km.[1] Launched on 4 March 2024 from the Vandenberg Space Force BaseinCalifornia, it is Portugal's second ever satellite, after the PoSAT-1.[2] Its purpose is ocean mapping and observation, with particular interest in the Portuguese exclusive economic zone in the Atlantic Ocean.[3]
The AEROS MH-1 was launched to map and observe the oceans of planet Earth,[4] with particular interest in the Atlantic Ocean, since the Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone is located there.[5] It was Portugal's second ever satellite, second only to 1993's PoSAT-1, and its meant to be the first step towards making Portugal “a space nation by the end of the 2020s”.[6]
Work on the satellite began in 2020 and it represents an investment of 2.78 million euros, co-financed by 1.88 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).[7] Its name is a homage to Manuel Heitor, former Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education.[2]
The AEROS MH-1 was launched on 4 March 2024, 14:05 PTZ, from the Vandenberg Space Force BaseinCalifornia,[8][9] aboard Space X's Falcon 9, as part of the Transporter 10 mission.[3] It was first Portuguese satellite to be launched into space in over thirty years.[10]
The satellite now orbits at an altitude of around 510 km, slightly above the International Space Station.[11] Communications and data collection are carried out from the island of Santa Maria in the Azores.[12]
