COSMO-1

COSMO-1 or COSMO-Skymed 1 is an Italian radar imaging satellite. Launched in 2007, it was the first of four COSMO-Skymed satellites to be placed into orbit. The spacecraft is operated by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, the Italian space agency, in conjunction with Italy's Ministry of Defence. It uses synthetic aperture radar to produce images for civilian, commercial and military purposes.[2]

COSMO-1 was constructed by Thales Alenia Space, based on the Prima bus. It was the first Prima-based spacecraft to be launched.[3] Designed for a five-year mission,[4] the satellite remains operational As of 2013.

ASI awarded Boeing a contract to launch COSMO-1, with the launch being subcontracted to United Launch Alliance when it was formed to take over Delta launch operations. The launch took place at 02:34:00 UTC on 8 June 2007. A Delta II rocket in the 7420-10C configuration, flight number Delta 324, lifted off from Space Launch Complex 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base, successfully injecting the satellite into low Earth orbit. Spacecraft separation occurred 58 minutes and 5 seconds after liftoff.[5]

The satellite operates in a sun-synchronous low Earth orbit. As of 25 January 2015 it was located in an orbit with a perigee of 628 kilometres (390 mi), an apogee of 630 kilometres (390 mi), inclined at 97.88 degrees to the equator. It has an orbital period of 97.16 minutes, with right ascension of the ascending node of 211.26 degrees and an argument of perigee of 84.67 degrees.[1]