# AggieSat2

> former American nanosatellite

**Wikidata**: [Q111496821](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111496821)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/aggiesat2

## Summary
AggieSat2 (also styled DRAGONSat AggieSat 2, DRAGONSat 2, AGS2) is a former American small satellite built and operated by Texas A&M University as part of the DRAGONSat program. It was launched as a secondary payload on Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-127) on 2009-07-15, deployed on 2009-07-30, and re-entered the atmosphere on 2010-03-17.

## Key Facts
- AggieSat2 is a former American small satellite and secondary payload operated and manufactured by Texas A&M University.  
- Launch date: 2009-07-15 at 22:03:10 (UTC) aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-127 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.  
- Deployment date from the launch vehicle: 2009-07-30.  
- Time of orbit decay / atmospheric entry: 2010-03-17.  
- Mass (launch weight): 3.5 kilogram.  
- Physical dimensions: 12.7 cm × 12.7 cm × 12.7 cm.  
- COSPAR ID / NSSDC ID: 2009-038B.  
- Powered by: spacecraft solar array.  
- Part of the DRAGONSat program (listed as part_of: DRAGONSat).  
- SCN (spacecraft number): 35690; Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite","35690"].  
- Official project web page: https://aggiesat.tamu.edu/projects/ags2/ (English).  
- Aliases: DRAGONSat AggieSat 2; DRAGONSat 2; AggieSat 2; AGS2.

## FAQs
### Q: What was AggieSat2?
A: AggieSat2 was a small satellite (nanosatellite-class) built and operated by Texas A&M University as part of the DRAGONSat program. It flew as a secondary payload on Space Shuttle STS-127 in 2009.

### Q: When and how was AggieSat2 launched?
A: AggieSat2 launched on 2009-07-15 at 22:03:10 UTC aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on mission STS-127, and it was deployed from the vehicle on 2009-07-30.

### Q: How big and how heavy was AggieSat2?
A: AggieSat2 measured 12.7 cm on each side (12.7 × 12.7 × 12.7 cm) and had a launch mass of 3.5 kilograms.

### Q: What happened to AggieSat2 after deployment?
A: The satellite re-entered the atmosphere and decayed from orbit on 2010-03-17.

### Q: Under what identifiers can AggieSat2 be found in catalogs?
A: AggieSat2 is cataloged with COSPAR ID / NSSDC ID 2009-038B and spacecraft number (SCN) 35690.

## Why It Matters
AggieSat2 represents a concrete example of a university-designed and -operated small satellite flown as a secondary payload on a human-rated launch. As part of the DRAGONSat program run by Texas A&M University, AggieSat2 carried the identifiers and mission milestones typical of academic nanosatellite projects: compact form factor (12.7 cm cube), low mass (3.5 kg), and use of solar arrays for power. Its flight on STS-127 placed it among other small payloads deployed from a Space Shuttle mission, documenting a route by which educational and experimental satellites accessed low Earth orbit before the Shuttle’s retirement. The satellite’s relatively short on-orbit life — deployment in July 2009 and atmospheric entry in March 2010 — provides a clear, verifiable data point about orbital lifetimes for small, low-mass satellites in similar deployment conditions. The project is part of the historical record of university-led spacecraft development and secondary-payload utilization on U.S. launch vehicles.

## Notable For
- Being a Texas A&M University–built and -operated small satellite flown as part of the DRAGONSat program.  
- Launch and deployment as a secondary payload on Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-127) from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A on 2009-07-15, with deployment on 2009-07-30.  
- Compact cube-like dimensions of 12.7 cm per side and a launch mass of 3.5 kg.  
- Recorded orbital identifiers COSPAR/NSSDC 2009-038B and spacecraft number 35690.  
- Documented atmospheric re-entry on 2010-03-17.

## Body

### Overview
- Name and aliases: AggieSat2; DRAGONSat AggieSat 2; DRAGONSat 2; AGS2.  
- Description: Former American small satellite (nanosatellite-class) and secondary payload.  
- Program affiliation: Part of DRAGONSat.

### Manufacturer and Operator
- Manufacturer: Texas A&M University.  
- Operator: Texas A&M University.  
- Project web page: https://aggiesat.tamu.edu/projects/ags2/ (English).

### Physical Characteristics
- Mass (launch weight): 3.5 kg.  
- Dimensions: width 12.7 cm; height 12.7 cm; length 12.7 cm (cube form factor).  
- Power: powered by spacecraft solar array.

### Launch and Deployment
- Launch vehicle: Space Shuttle (Endeavour), mission STS-127.  
- Launch site / start point: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.  
- Launch date and time: 2009-07-15 at 22:03:10 (UTC).  
- Deployment from the launch vehicle: 2009-07-30.

### Mission Timeline and End of Mission
- Deployment: 2009-07-30 (deployment event recorded).  
- Atmospheric entry / orbit decay: 2010-03-17.

### Identifiers and Catalog Entries
- COSPAR ID: 2009-038B.  
- NSSDC ID: 2009-038B.  
- SCN (spacecraft number): 35690.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite","35690"].

### Associated Payloads and Mission Context
- STS-127 deployment context lists other small payloads associated with the launch, including Bevo-1, ANDE-Castor, and ANDE-Pollux as part of the mission qualifiers.

### Visual and Reference Resources
- Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/DRAGONSat_deployed_(cropped).jpg

## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/aggiesat-2.htm)
2. Jonathan's Space Report
3. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=2009-038B)
4. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2009-038B)