SAC-C and the AM constellation: three years of achievements

Abstract

SAC-C is an international Earth observation satellite mission conceived as a partnership between CONAE and NASA, with additional support in instrumentation and satellite development from the Danish DSRI, the Italian ASI, the French CNES and the Brazilian INPE. A Delta II rocket successfully launched it on November 21st, 2000, from Vandenberg AFB, California, USA. There are ten instruments on board SAC-C, which perform different studies: the Multispectral Medium Resolution Scanner (MMRS), provided by CONAE, Argentina, helps in the study of evaluation of desertification processes and their evolution in time (i.e., Patagonia, Argentina), to identify and predict agricultural production, to monitor flood areas and to make studies in coastal and fluvial areas. The MMRS is associated with a High Resolution Technological Camera (HRTC), also provided by CONAE, that helps enhance MMRS resolution in the areas required. A High Sensitivity Technological Camera (HSTC) is also included in the mission and provided by CONAE. SAC-C also carries instruments to monitor the condition and dynamics of the terrestrial and marine biosphere and environment (GPS OccuLtation and Passive reflection Experiment (GOLPE)) from NASA/JPL. The Magnetic Mapping Payload (MMP) developed by the Danish Space Research Institute and JPL helps to better understand the Earth's magnetic field and related Sun-Earth interactions. Italian Star Tracker (IST) and Italian Navigation Experiment (INES) developed by the Italian Space Agency, constitute a technological payload that permits testing a fully autonomous system for attitude and orbit determination. Influence of space radiation on advanced components (ICARE), provided by CNES allows improvement of risk estimation models for radiation effect on last generation integrated circuit technology. On June 14th, 2000 CONAE and NASA signed an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding for the SAC-C mission in order to include the SAC-C satellite in the "International Morning Constellation". This constellation is integrated by US satellites Landsat 7, EO 1 and Terra, and the Argentine SAC-C that feature on-board instruments from the United States, Argentina, Denmark, Italy, France, and Japan.