Project MEDSAT was proposed with the specific goal of designing a satellite to remotely sense pertinent information useful in establishing strategies to control malaria. The 340 kg MEDSAT satellite is to be inserted into circular earth orbit aboard the Pegasus Air-Launched Space Booster at an inclination of 21 degrees and an altitude of 473 km. It is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar and a visible thermal/infrared sensor to remotely sense conditions at the target area of Chiapas, Mexico. The orbit is designed so that MEDSAT will pass over the target site twice each day. The data from each scan will be downlinked to Hawaii for processing, resulting in maps indicating areas of high malaria risk. These will be distributed to health officials at the target site. A relatively inexpensive launch by Pegasus and a design using mainly proven, off-the-shelf technology permit a low mission cost, while innovations in the satellite controls and the scientific instruments allow a fairly complex mission.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Project MEDSAT: The design of a remote sensing platform for malaria research and control


    Publication date :

    1991-04-01


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English






    Remote sensing project

    Mallon, H. J. / Howard, J. Y. | NTRS | 1972


    NCSL remote sensing project

    Tessar, P. A. | NTRS | 1979


    Stacked optical remote sensing satellite platform

    YANG FANG / NIU CHAO / LIU ZHIJIA et al. | European Patent Office | 2025

    Free access