Who built the SAPPHIRE satellite?
Stanford University students in Palo Alto, California built the satellite known as SAPPHIRE. The project name stands for Stanford AudioPhonic PHotographic IR Experiment.
Questions about Sapphire
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the SAPPHIRE satellite launch from Earth?
The launch occurred on the 30th of September 2001 from Kodiak Island, Alaska. An Athena 1 rocket carried SAPPHIRE into space alongside other payloads.
What frequencies does the SAPPHIRE satellite use for transmission?
Engineers set the uplink frequency to 145.945 MHz for control signals. Downlink transmissions traveled out at 437.1 MHz with a speed of 1200 bit/s AFSK.
Which group began using the SAPPHIRE satellite in 2002?
Midshipmen of the US Naval Academy began using the satellite in 2002. They learned how to control the spacecraft from their training facilities.
When did active service end for the SAPPHIRE mission?
Active service continued until early 2005 when the mission concluded. No further operations occurred after that point in time.