MATS (Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy) is a Swedish research satellite designed for studying waves in Earth's atmosphere. Launch occurred on 4 November 2022 from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 at the Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand.[2][3][4]
| Mission type | Climatology |
|---|---|
| Operator | Swedish National Space Board |
| COSPAR ID | MATS:2022-147A [1] |
| SATCAT no. | MATS:TBD |
| Website | https://www.rymdstyrelsen.se/en/swedish-space-industry/swedish-satellites/mats/ |
| Mission duration | 2 years (planned) 2 years and 8 days (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | OHB Sweden, ÅAC Clyde Space, Stockholm University Chalmers University of Technology, KTH, Omnisys Instruments |
| Launch mass | 50 kg (110 lb) |
| Dimensions | 60 cm × 70 cm × 85 cm (24 in × 28 in × 33 in) |
| Power | TBD |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 4 November 2022, 17:27:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Electron rocket |
| Launch site | Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 |
| Contractor | Rocket Lab |
MATS is planned to study atmospheric waves, providing data for atmospheric models monitoring future changes in the mesosphere, the atmospheric layer 50-100 km above sea level. In particular, MATS is designed to measure noctilucent clouds and atmospheric airglow from oxygen molecules.[5]
References
edit- ^ "MATS - Gunter's Space Page". 4 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Rocket Lab to attempt booster recovery on upcoming Electron launch". SpaceNews. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ Thomas von Heijne (4 November 2022). "Svenska satelliten Mats ska kartlägga jordens atmosfär" (in Swedish). SVT Vetenskap. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "Svensk satellit skjuts upp" (in Swedish). SVT Play. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "MATS instrument". Stockholm University. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.