Picard

Named after the French astronomer Jean Picard (1620-1682) who achieved the first accurate measurements of the solar diameter

---

General

Designation	36598 / 10028A
Launch date	15 Jun 2010
Country of origin	France
Mission	Scientific: Observation of the Sun
Perigee/Apogee	730 km, sun-synchronous
Inclination	98.3°
Period	99 min
Launch vehicle	Dnepr #15

Owned by CNES, part of the Myriade program

In order to study the solar activity, will measure the absolute total and spectral solar irradiance, the diameter and solar shape, and to the Sun's interior probing by the helioseismology method.

---

External resources

http://smsc.cnes.fr/PICARD/

sat-index articles

n2yo.com tracking

Technical data

---

---

Specifications

Prime contractor	CNES
Platform	Myriade
Mass at launch
Dry mass
Dimension
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power
Design lifetime	2 years

Carries 3 main instruments:

SOVAP (SOlar VAriability Picard): composed of a differential absolute radiometer and a bolometric sensor to measure the total solar irradiance (previously called solar constant)

PREMOS (PREcision MOnitor Sensor): a set of 3 photometers to study the ozone formation and destruction, and to perform helioseismologic observations, and an absolute differential radiometer to measure the total solar irradiance.

SODISM (SOlar Diameter Imager and Surface Mapper): an imaging telescope accurately pointed and a CCD which allows to measure the solar diameter and shape with an accuracy of a few milliarc second, and to perfom helioseismologic observations to probe the solar interior.

2.232 GHz downlink

---