# MaqSat-B

> instrumented dummy satellite launched in 1997

**Wikidata**: [Q111498552](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111498552)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/maqsat-b

## Summary
MaqSat-B is an instrumented dummy satellite launched on 30 October 1997 to test Ariane 5G performance. The 2,340 kg research satellite, built by Kayser-Threde GmbH and operated by Arianespace, served as a mass model for validating the new European launch vehicle.

## Key Facts
- Launch date: 30 October 1997 at 13:43 UTC from ELA-3, Kourou
- Launch vehicle: Ariane 5G flight V101
- Mass: 2,340 kg
- COSPAR/NSSDCA ID: 1997-066B
- Satellite catalogue number: 25024
- Manufacturer: Kayser-Threde GmbH
- Operator: Arianespace
- Orbit: Geostationary transfer orbit
- Also known as: Maquette Satellite - Bas
- Co-passengers: MaqSat-H and Young Engineers' Satellite

## FAQs
### Q: What was MaqSat-B used for?
A: MaqSat-B was a non-functional mass simulator flown to verify that the new Ariane 5G rocket could carry a realistic payload mass to geostationary transfer orbit.

### Q: Who built and launched MaqSat-B?
A: German aerospace company Kayser-Threde GmbH built the satellite; Arianespace launched it aboard the 101st Ariane 5G mission.

### Q: Did MaqSat-B carry scientific instruments?
A: No. It was an "instrumented dummy," meaning it carried engineering sensors to record launch environments but no research payload.

## Why It Matters
MaqSat-B played a critical certification role for Europe's Ariane 5G launcher. By flying a 2.3-tonne inert payload, Arianespace proved the vehicle's ability to lift commercial telecommunications satellites to geostationary transfer orbit—the market Ariane 5 was designed to serve. Successful deployment of MaqSat-B and its companion payloads on flight V101 gave customers confidence in booking lucrative satellites on subsequent Ariane 5 missions, securing Europe's share of the global launch market. Dummy payloads like MaqSat-B are cheaper and lower-risk than flying an actual commercial spacecraft on an unproven rocket, making them standard practice for qualifying new launch vehicles.

## Notable For
- One of the first payloads ever flown on the maiden operational version of Ariane 5 (5G)
- Served as a low-cost mass model, keeping program risk and cost down while still providing telemetry
- Co-manifested with two other technology satellites on a single launch, demonstrating ride-share capability

## Body
### Mission Overview
MaqSat-B was launched 30 October 1997 at 13:43 UTC from ELA-3, Europe's Ariane launch complex in French Guiana. The flight, designated V101, was only the sixth launch of an Ariane 5 and the first of the upgraded 5G version. Liftoff placed the 2,340 kg satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit, validating the launcher's performance with a representative commercial payload mass.

### Spacecraft Description
Built by Munich-based Kayser-Threde GmbH, MaqSat-B was an unpowered, non-operational structure equipped with accelerometers, strain gauges and temperature sensors. These instruments transmitted data during ascent, giving engineers insight into the launch environment future payloads would experience. Internally the satellite was ballasted to match the inertia of a typical communications satellite.

### Launch Context
Ariane 5G flight V101 carried three payloads: MaqSat-H (a dummy upper-stage mass), the Young Engineers' Satellite (YES) deployment experiment, and MaqSat-B. The mission marked a key step toward certifying Ariane 5 for dual-manifest commercial satellite launches, a cornerstone of Arianespace's business model.

## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/maqsat-b.htm)
2. Jonathan's Space Report