CEOS EO HANDBOOK – MISSION SUMMARY - SOCRATES -
Full Name Space Optical Communications Research Advanced Technology Satellite Status Mission complete
Mission Agencies NICT Launch Date 24 May 2014
Mission Links mission site EOL Date 24 May 2019
EO Portal Info NORAD Catalog #
International Designator
Orbit Type Sun-synchronous Orbit Period 97.4 minutes
Orbit Sense Orbit Inclination 97.9 deg
Orbit Altitude 628 km Orbit Longitude
Orbit LST Repeat Cycle
Objectives and Applications The overall objective is to demonstrate and validate the operation of SOTA (Small Optical TrAnsponder), a laser communication system in space. The goal is to experiment with QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) techniques and to foster the application free-space optical communications (higher data rates than RF communications) in microsatellites and eventually in nanosatellites.
Mission Measurements
Mission Instruments
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