# Lewis

> Earth imaging satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q969151](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q969151)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_(satellite))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/lewis

## Summary
Lewis is a NASA-operated Earth imaging (Earth observation) satellite launched on 23 August 1997. It was built by TRW Inc., weighed 445 kg, rode an Athena I (LM-002) launcher from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6, suffered a loss of signal days after launch, and reentered the atmosphere on 28 September 1997.

## Key Facts
- Lewis is an Earth imaging satellite (instance of Earth observation satellite).
- Launched 1997-08-23 at 06:51:01 (UTC) aboard an Athena I launch vehicle (vehicle ID LM-002) from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6.
- Mass: 445 kg.
- Operator: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- Manufacturer: TRW Inc.; spacecraft bus: T200.
- COSPAR ID / NSSDCA ID: 1997-044A; Satellite Catalog Number (SCN): 24909.
- Also known by the alias SSTI-1 and named after Meriwether Lewis.
- Significant mission events: rocket launch 1997-08-23 (Vandenberg SLC-6); loss of signal on 1997-08-26; atmospheric entry / orbital decay on 1997-09-28 (decay time recorded 11:58).
- Capital cost: US$71,000,000 (point in time: 1997).
- Country of origin: United States.

## FAQs
### Q: What was Lewis meant to do?
A: Lewis was an Earth imaging (Earth observation) satellite designed to observe Earth from low Earth orbit.

### Q: When and how was Lewis launched?
A: Lewis was launched 23 August 1997 at 06:51:01 UTC from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6 aboard an Athena I launch vehicle (LM-002).

### Q: How long did Lewis operate?
A: Lewis suffered a loss of signal on 26 August 1997, three days after launch, and reentered the atmosphere (orbital decay) on 28 September 1997.

### Q: Who built and operated Lewis?
A: The satellite was manufactured by TRW Inc. and operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

## Why It Matters
Lewis was a NASA-operated Earth imaging satellite launched in 1997 to perform Earth observation tasks from low Earth orbit. Its development and launch reflect the resources and technical effort invested in spaceborne Earth imaging at the time—manufactured by TRW Inc., built on a T200 spacecraft bus, and procured at a capital cost of approximately US$71 million (1997). The mission is also notable for demonstrating the operational risks of spaceflight: Lewis lost signal a few days after launch and subsequently decayed from orbit about a month later. As a named NASA satellite with national origin in the United States and formal identifiers (COSPAR 1997-044A, SCN 24909), Lewis is part of the historical record of Earth observation missions and serves as a documented example of program cost, launch architecture (Athena I), and mission lifetime outcomes in the late 1990s.

## Notable For
- Short operational life: loss of signal on 1997-08-26, reentry on 1997-09-28.
- Launched on an Athena I vehicle (LM-002) from Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6 on 1997-08-23.
- Built by TRW Inc. on a T200 spacecraft bus and operated by NASA.
- Mass of 445 kg and capital cost of US$71,000,000 (1997).
- Formal identifiers: COSPAR ID 1997-044A and Satellite Catalog Number 24909.

## Body

### Overview
- Name: Lewis (satellite); also known as SSTI-1.
- Role: Earth imaging / Earth observation satellite.
- Named after: Meriwether Lewis.
- Country of origin: United States.
- Wikipedia title: Lewis (satellite).

### Technical specifications
- Mass: 445 kilograms.
- Spacecraft bus: T200.
- Manufacturer: TRW Inc.
- Operator: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- Intended orbital regime: low Earth orbit.

### Identifiers and classification
- Instance of: Earth observation satellite.
- COSPAR ID: 1997-044A.
- NSSDCA ID: 1997-044A.
- Satellite Catalog Number (SCN): 24909.
- Freebase ID: /m/0bmdzlb.

### Launch details
- Launch date and time: 1997-08-23 at 06:51:01 (UTC).
- Launch vehicle: Athena I, vehicle ID LM-002.
- Launch site / start point: Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6.

### Mission timeline and significant events
- Rocket launch: 1997-08-23 from Vandenberg SLC-6.
- Loss of signal: 1997-08-26.
- Time of orbital decay / atmospheric entry: 1997-09-28 (recorded decay time 11:58).
- The mission therefore lasted from launch on 23 August 1997 until decay on 28 September 1997, with signal lost three days after launch.

### Program cost
- Capital cost reported as US$71,000,000 (point in time: 1997).

### Coverage and documentation
- Sitlink count and language presence: multiple Wikipedia language entries (de, en, es, fr, gl, pt) and six sitelinks recorded.

## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/lewis.htm)
2. [Source](https://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/pg48s95.html)
3. Jonathan's Space Report
4. [Source](https://carlkop.home.xs4all.nl/lewis.html)
5. [Source](http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9709/28/satellite/)
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
7. [Source](https://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/1997/97-182.txt)
8. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1997-044A)