Watch a replay of the live launch webcast at https://www.spacex.com/webcast
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Spaceflight SSO-A: SmallSat Express mission including Suomi 100 satellite into low Earth orbit on Monday, December 3 from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Suomi 100 satellite has been built by Aalto University together with the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
A series of six deployments occurred approximately 13-43 minutes after liftoff, after which Spaceflight began to command its own deployment sequences. Spaceflight’s deployments occur over a period of six hours.
The Suomi 100 Satellite’s scientific mission includes the research of space weather and auroras, both linked together and being one of the main subjects of the Finnish space research. Additionally, the satellite has a camera for taking stunning orbital imagery of our Planet, and Finland, in particular.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched Suomi 100 satellite amongst a stack of small satellites into a sun-synchronous polar orbit with an altitude of 575 km. A total of 64 spacecraft (15 microsats and 49 cubesats) from 34 organizations were launched on this mission from 17 countries, including the U.S., Australia, Italy, Netherlands, Finland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, U.K., Germany, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Poland, Canada, Brazil and India.
Suomi 100 satellite has been built by Aalto University together with the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The satellite has been ready since fall 2017, but because of the problems with the launcher (Indian PSLV) the launch has been delayed. In July 2018 the launch was transferred to Falcon 9 (Spaceflight’s SSO-A Mission).
Finally, Suomi 100 satellite is on orbit, making an end to a long wait!
More information:
Suomi 100 satellite mission: http://www.suomi100satelliitti.fi/
Aalto University, Project leader, Prof. Esa Kallio: +358 50 4205 857
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Head of Unit, Dr. Ari-Matti Harri: ari-matti.harri@fmi.fi
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