astronomy

OPTSAT-3000

OPTSAT-3000 is a astronomy 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 OPTSAT-3000 rather than just read about it. In short: OPTSAT-3000 (OPTical SATellite-3000) is an Italian Earth observation and reconnaissance satellite developed and built by Israel Aerospace Industries and operated by the Italian Ministry of Defence. Launched on August 2, 2017, it has an expected service life of at least 7 years.

Key takeaways

OPTSAT-3000 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect OPTSAT-3000 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of OPTSAT-3000 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

OPTSAT-3000 (OPTical SATellite-3000) is an Italian Earth observation and reconnaissance satellite developed and built by Israel Aerospace Industries and operated by the Italian Ministry of Defence. Launched on August 2, 2017, it has an expected service life of at least 7 years. It is based on the design of the TecSAR-1 satellite.

Design

Satellite bus OPTSAT-3000 is based upon the bus of the Israeli reconnaissance satellite TecSAR-1, but is modified for optical instruments. It has a launch mass of 368 kg (811 lb) and dimensions of 4.58 × 3.35 × 1.20 m (15.0 × 11.0 × 3.9 ft) when its two solar arrays are deployed.

Imaging system OPTSAT-3000 has a high-resolution optical imaging system known as Jupiter, which is able to deliver panchromatic images with a resolution of 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) while operating the multispectral channel at the same time. These imaging detectors, combined with a 70 cm (28 in) telescope from an altitude of almost 600 km (370 mi), allows OPTSAT-3000 to cover a ground track 15 km (9.3 mi) wide.

Launch

OPTSAT-3000 launched from Guiana Space Centre ELV, French Guiana, on board a Vega rocket. It was launched to a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit with an apoapsis of 501.8 km (311.8 mi), a periapsis of 474.1 km (294.6 mi) and an inclination of 97.2°, allowing it to cover much of the world.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with OPTSAT-3000

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what OPTSAT-3000 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, 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 OPTSAT-3000 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 OPTSAT-3000 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 OPTSAT-3000

In research: OPTSAT-3000 appears in astronomy 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 OPTSAT-3000 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: OPTSAT-3000 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2017 in spaceflight, Earth observation satellites, Israel Aerospace Industries satellites, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for OPTSAT-3000 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.

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How to study OPTSAT-3000 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what OPTSAT-3000 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 OPTSAT-3000 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is OPTSAT-3000 in simple terms?

Why does OPTSAT-3000 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy 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 OPTSAT-3000?

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 OPTSAT-3000.