Rocsat 2

Also called Formosat 2

---

General

Designation	28254 / 04018A
Launch date	20 May 2004
Country of origin	Taiwan
Mission	Remote sensing
Perigee/Apogee	850 km sun-synchronous
Inclination	99°
Period	100 min
Launch vehicle	Taurus XL #7

In Sep 1999 China pressured Germany which revoked the export licences (China suspects the satellite to serve military purposes). The contract went to Astrium.

---

End of life

Out of service	June 2016
Cause	Failure of a reaction wheel
Decay

---

External resources

sat-index articles

Technical data

---

---

Specifications

Prime contractor	Astrium
Platform	Leostar 500XO
Mass at launch	764 kg
Mass in orbit
Dimension
Solar array
Stabilization
DC power
Design lifetime	5 years

The remote sensing payload has a 0.60 m telescope providing 2 m resolution black and white and 8 m resolution color. Will also carry a payload to study electrical phenomena (lightning sprites) in the upper atmosphere. It is the first all-silicon carbide instrument.

---