# GeneSat-1

> NASA's nanosatellite

**Wikidata**: [Q1501359](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1501359)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeneSat-1)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/genesat-1

## Summary
GeneSat-1 is a NASA nanosatellite launched as a CubeSat technology demonstration spacecraft. It was launched on 2006-12-16 by a Minotaur I rocket from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0 and is catalogued under COSPAR ID 2006-058C.

## Key Facts
- GeneSat-1 is a NASA-operated nanosatellite (operator: National Aeronautics and Space Administration).  
- It is classified as a CubeSat, a technology demonstration spacecraft, and an artificial satellite.  
- Launch date: 2006-12-16.  
- Launch vehicle: Minotaur I.  
- Launch site / start point: Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0.  
- COSPAR ID: 2006-058C.  
- SCN: 29655.  
- Common alias: GENESAT.  
- Freebase ID: /m/0h94nr3.  
- Wikimedia image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Genesat-1_1.jpg

## FAQs
### Q: What is GeneSat-1?
A: GeneSat-1 is a NASA nanosatellite built and flown as a CubeSat technology demonstration spacecraft. It was launched on 2006-12-16.

### Q: When and how was GeneSat-1 launched?
A: GeneSat-1 was launched on 2006-12-16 aboard a Minotaur I launch vehicle from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0.

### Q: Who operated GeneSat-1?
A: GeneSat-1 was operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

### Q: How is GeneSat-1 identified in satellite catalogs?
A: GeneSat-1 carries COSPAR ID 2006-058C and SCN 29655.

## Why It Matters
GeneSat-1 represents NASA’s use of nanosatellite and CubeSat platforms to perform focused, low-cost technology demonstrations. As a CubeSat-class spacecraft under NASA operation, it exemplifies the shift toward smaller, standardized satellite form factors for demonstrating new instruments, experimental technologies, and mission concepts with lower development and launch costs compared with traditional satellites. Launched on 2006-12-16 by a Minotaur I from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, GeneSat-1 contributes to the broader ecosystem of small-satellite missions that enable rapid iteration, undergraduate and early-career involvement, and targeted mission objectives. Its classification as both a CubeSat and a technology demonstration spacecraft identifies its role in validating techniques and hardware that can be scaled or adapted for future missions. As part of NASA’s portfolio of small satellite flights, GeneSat-1 helps illustrate the agency’s engagement with miniaturized spacecraft approaches and the integration of CubeSats into operational launch campaigns.

## Notable For
- Being a NASA-operated nanosatellite specifically identified as a CubeSat and a technology demonstration spacecraft.  
- Launch on 2006-12-16 aboard a Minotaur I from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0.  
- Catalog identifiers linking it in international registries: COSPAR ID 2006-058C and SCN 29655.  
- Commonly referenced by the alias "GENESAT" and documented with media on Wikimedia Commons.

## Body
### Overview
- Name: GeneSat-1 (alias: GENESAT).  
- Short description (Wikidata): NASA's nanosatellite.  
- Instance types: CubeSat; technology demonstration spacecraft; artificial satellite.

### Launch details
- Launch date: 2006-12-16.  
- Launch vehicle: Minotaur I.  
- Launch site / start point: Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0.  
- Significant event recorded: rocket launch on 2006-12-16 from Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0.

### Identifiers and cataloging
- COSPAR ID: 2006-058C.  
- SCN: 29655.  
- Freebase ID: /m/0h94nr3.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "29655"].

### Operator and mission type
- Operator: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  
- Mission role: technology demonstration (as indicated by classification).  
- Form factor: CubeSat (miniaturized satellite built from 10 cm cubic modules, per CubeSat classification).

### Media and references
- Wikimedia Commons image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Genesat-1_1.jpg  
- Commons category: Genesat 1.  
- Wikipedia title: GeneSat-1.  
- Available Wikipedia language links include commons, de, en, es, fr, gl, lb, zh.

### Miscellaneous
- Sitelink count (across linked resources): 8.  
- Source references for structured properties include dataset entry Q6272367 and cross-references to Wikidata items.

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report