science

NEE-01 Pegaso

NEE-01 Pegaso is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand NEE-01 Pegaso rather than just read about it. In short: NEE-01 Pegaso (Spanish pronunciation: [peˈɣaso], "Pegasus") is an Ecuadorian technology demonstration satellite, and Ecuador's first satellite launched to space. Built by the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA), it is a nanosatellite of the single-unit CubeSat class.

Key takeaways

NEE-01 Pegaso belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect NEE-01 Pegaso to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NEE-01 Pegaso from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NEE-01 Pegaso (Spanish pronunciation: [peˈɣaso], "Pegasus") is an Ecuadorian technology demonstration satellite, and Ecuador's first satellite launched to space. Built by the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA), it is a nanosatellite of the single-unit CubeSat class. The spacecraft's instruments include a dual visible and infrared camera which allows the spacecraft to take pictures and transmit live video from space.

Construction and launch After the completion of its HERMES-A ground station in April 2010, EXA authorised the construction of Ecuador's first satellite. A number of restrictions and demands were imposed on the project: EXA was solely responsible for the spacecraft design and technology research, all construction had to take place within Ecuador, the project must be "future-enabling" and result in a technological breakthrough, and its mission must be educational in nature. The completed Pegaso was presented to the public on 4 April 2011. All research and construction of the satellite was performed by Ecuadorian personnel at a cost of US$30,000. Funding for testing and launch services was provided by the Ecuadorian Defense Ministry. While originally planned to be orbited by a Russian Dnepr, delays with the rocket forced EXA to move the satellite's launch to China. Pegaso was eventually launched as a secondary payload aboard a Chinese Long March 2D from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center's SLS Pad 2 on 26 April 2013, 04:13 UTC. It was placed into an elliptical orbit around Earth of approximately 600 by 900 kilometres (370 by 560 mi).

Mission and spacecraft systems The primary objective of Pegaso was to operate in space and transmit spacecraft telemetry for at least one year. In that time, it was intended to test various on-board systems and technologies, as well as serve as an educational tool for grade school students and undergraduates.

The satellite's primary instrument is a 720p HD camera, provided by EarthCam, capable of recording in both visible and infrared light. This video, along with telemetry and other data, was broadcast from the spacecraft to the HERMES-A ground station via a three-watt television transmitter. It was meant to allow the public to view live video of the Earth from orbit and give researchers the capability to search for near-Earth objects. To protect against damaging environmental factors, Pegaso employs the Space Environment Attenuation Manifold (SEAM/NEMEA), a multi-layer polymer insulation which is designed to block alpha and beta particles, X-ray and gamma radiation, and up to 67% of incoming heat. The insulation additionally provides the spacecraft some degree of protection against EMP and plasma discharge events, and allows Pegaso to retain heat during orbital night. Further thermal control is obtained with a thin sheet of carbon nanotubes layered over a heat-reflecting surface, which helps to equalise the temperature throughout the vehicle. The spacecraft's solar panels, at 1.5 millimetres (0.059 in) thick, are among the thinnest ever deployed on a satellite. Pegaso's 57 solar cells are capable of generating 14.25 watts and feed 32 on-board 900 mA·h batteries, producing a maximum of 107 watts available power. The solar panel and antenna deployment systems made use of memory metals, passively activated by solar radiation, which allowed for smoother deployment and less agitation of the vehicle's attitude. For passive attitude control, Pegaso uses a series of magnets and inertial-magnetic dampers for single-axis alignment along Earth's magnetic field.

Collision with debris

Apparent loss The satellite operated normally until 23 May 2013; at approximately 05:38 UTC, Pegaso passed very close to the spent upper stage of a 1985 Tsyklon-3 rocket over the Indian Ocean. While there was no direct collision between the satellite and upper stage, Pegaso is believed to have suffered a "glancing blow" after passing through a debris cloud around the Tsyklon stage and striking one of the small pieces. After the incident, the satellite was found to be "spinning wildly over two of its axes" and unable to communicate with its ground station. While efforts were made to reestablish control of Pegaso, on 28 August 2013 the decision was made by EXA and the Ecuadorian government to declare the satellite lost.

Recovery On 25 January 2014, EXA recovered the audio segment of the Pegaso signal during the first public transmission from NEE-02 Krysaor, verifying that Pegaso had survived its collision with the Tsyklon debris and was operating. EXA announced that it had installed a miniature repeater device aboard Krysaor called PERSEUS, and that this was used to recover the Pegaso signal.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NEE-01 Pegaso

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NEE-01 Pegaso claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to NEE-01 Pegaso before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about NEE-01 Pegaso ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of NEE-01 Pegaso

In research: NEE-01 Pegaso appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses NEE-01 Pegaso in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: NEE-01 Pegaso is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2013 in Ecuador, CubeSats, Ecuadorian inventions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NEE-01 Pegaso outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “NEE-01 Pegaso” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study NEE-01 Pegaso in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NEE-01 Pegaso means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain NEE-01 Pegaso out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NEE-01 Pegaso in simple terms?

Why does NEE-01 Pegaso matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study NEE-01 Pegaso?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on NEE-01 Pegaso.