Fourth Anniversary of UniSat-6

UniSat-6 fulfilled GAUSS’ long endurance expectations and is turning 4 today!

GAUSS latest small satellite sailed across the sky for a whole year more, being up and running and still completely operative, hence demonstrating its good health. 

UniSat-6 integrated on the launch platform of the Dnepr rocket

UniSat-6 was launched on 19 June 2014 and ejected into orbit with its payload by the Dnepr LV, from Yasny base.
Four years from the launch day have already passed and GAUSS personnel has continued constantly monitoring it, always tracking its position.
UniSat-6, both a small satellite and a launch platform, after having released into orbit 4 CubeSats, is still functioning and being useful as a testing platform for electronics.        

It passes over GAUSS ground station several times every day, hence communications are carried out on a daily basis.

UniSat-6 tracked from a telescope passing over Italy during a cloudy night on May 20, 2018

All in all, UniSat-6 is a great example that small satellites are not only a good choice in the aerospace field in terms of cost-effectiveness, but also in the technology performance and reliability respects. 

GAUSS staff is currently working on UniSat-6 boosted successor, UniSat-7. 

To thank the Radio Amateurs Community, which has been actively following the satellite, during these days UniSat-6 will be sending a special beacon containing a message dedicated to each one of them. Stay tuned!

UniSat-6’s special beacon sent on June 19, 2018

Here below we have gathered some figures accomplished during UniSat-6’s four post-launch years, received through GAUSS ground station:

• 21.501 is the total number of the orbits completed around the Earth in these four years
• 950 million km travelled around our planet since the beginning
• 150 MB of telemetry data downloaded during this last year 

Some recent space pictures taken from UniSat-6:

UniSat-6 took this picture on June 7, 2018 while passing over the United Kingdom and Ireland

UniSat-6 took this picture on June 12, 2018 while passing over Italy (Puglia Region) and the Balkan Coasts