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Sirio

Italy began its national space-based telecommunications program with the experimental Sirio spacecraft developed in the 1970's. These relatively small (approximately 220 kg on-station in GEO), spin-stabilized spacecraft were constructed by an Italian aerospace consortium to test the characteristics of 18/12 GHz transmissions. The drum-shaped spacecraft had a diameter of 1.4 m and a height of 1 m and was covered with solar cells which produced a maximum of 150 W. Sirio 1 was launched in 1977 and functioned well past its 2-year design life before being retired in 1992. Sirio 2 was lost in an Ariane launch failure in 1982.

Sources and Resources

• Adapted from: Europe and Asia in Space 1993-1994, Nicholas Johnson and David Rodvold [Kaman Sciences / Air Force Phillips Laboratory]

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