# MightySat-1

> American technology demonstration satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q6844091](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6844091)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MightySat-1)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/mightysat-1

## Summary
MightySat-1 is an American technology demonstration satellite (small satellite) built by Orbital Sciences Corporation and operated by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Space Test Program. It was launched aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-88) from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A on 1998-12-04 and deployed into orbit on 1998-12-12; the spacecraft reentered the atmosphere on 1999-11-21.

## Key Facts
- MightySat-1 is a United States technology demonstration spacecraft and small satellite (COSPAR ID 1998-069C; NSSDC ID 1998-069C).  
- Launch date and time: 1998-12-04 at 08:35:34 (UTC); launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-88).  
- Deployment into orbit: 1998-12-12.  
- Mass (launch weight): 68 kilograms.  
- Manufacturer: Orbital Sciences Corporation; spacecraft bus: Star Bus.  
- Operators: Air Force Research Laboratory and the Space Test Program.  
- Power source: spacecraft solar array.  
- Atmospheric entry / orbital decay: 1999-11-21 (time recorded as 17:11).  
- Follow-on mission: MightySat-2.1.

## FAQs
### Q: What was MightySat-1?
A: MightySat-1 was a U.S. technology demonstration satellite (a small satellite) used to flight-test experimental spacecraft technologies. It was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation and operated by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Space Test Program.

### Q: When and how was MightySat-1 launched?
A: MightySat-1 was carried into space aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-88, launching from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on 1998-12-04 at 08:35:34 (UTC).

### Q: How long did MightySat-1 remain in orbit?
A: MightySat-1 was deployed on 1998-12-12 and reentered the atmosphere on 1999-11-21 (decay time recorded as 17:11), giving it an on-orbit lifetime of roughly 11 months.

### Q: Who built and operated MightySat-1?
A: The satellite was manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation and was operated by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Space Test Program.

### Q: What bus and power system did MightySat-1 use?
A: MightySat-1 used the Star Bus spacecraft bus and was powered by a spacecraft solar array.

## Why It Matters
MightySat-1 served as a U.S. small-satellite testbed for demonstrating and validating spacecraft technologies in orbit. As a technology demonstration spacecraft operated by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Space Test Program, it provided a low-mass (68 kg) platform to exercise components, subsystems, and engineering approaches in the space environment. Flights like MightySat-1 reduce risk for later operational systems by enabling in-orbit verification before committing technologies to larger or more critical missions. The mission also contributed to a lineage of follow-on flights (notably MightySat-2.1), helping preserve institutional experience in rapid, focused technology demonstrations launched on reusable vehicles such as the Space Shuttle. Its roughly 11-month on-orbit duration provided a finite period to evaluate performance, collect engineering data, and inform subsequent satellite design choices.

## Notable For
- Being launched as part of Space Shuttle Endeavour mission STS-88 from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A on 1998-12-04.  
- Small launch mass of 68 kg, classifying it as a small satellite technology demonstrator.  
- Built on Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Star Bus and powered by spacecraft solar arrays.  
- Operated by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Space Test Program, and followed by the later MightySat-2.1 mission.  
- Recorded orbital decay and atmospheric entry on 1999-11-21.

## Body
### Overview
- Name: MightySat-1 (aliases: MightySat 1, P97-1).  
- Type: Technology demonstration spacecraft; classified as a small satellite and listed as a former entity (deorbited).  
- Country of origin: United States.  
- COSPAR ID / NSSDC ID: 1998-069C.

### Technical specifications
- Launch mass (launch weight): 68 kg.  
- Spacecraft bus: Star Bus.  
- Power: Spacecraft solar array.  
- Manufacturer: Orbital Sciences Corporation.  
- Freebase ID: /m/04gv059.  
- Wolfram Language entity code: Entity["Satellite", "25551"].  
- SCN: 25551.

### Launch and mission timeline
- Launch: 1998-12-04 at 08:35:34 (UTC).  
- Launch site: Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.  
- Launch vehicle: Space Shuttle (Endeavour), STS-88.  
- Deployment into orbit: 1998-12-12.  
- Atmospheric entry / orbital decay: 1999-11-21 (time recorded as 17:11).

### Operators and program
- Primary operators: Air Force Research Laboratory; Space Test Program.  
- Mission role: Technology demonstration — flight-testing experimental technologies in space.  
- Follow-on: MightySat-2.1 succeeded MightySat-1.

### Documentation and references
- Described at: http://sspp.gsfc.nasa.gov/hh/mightysat/index.html (NASA Space Science Technology pages).  
- AFRL factsheet: http://www.vs.afrl.af.mil/Factsheets/msat.html.  
- Additional mission references and data are recorded in public spaceflight databases under COSPAR/NSSDC ID 1998-069C.

## Schema Markup
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  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "MightySat-1",
  "description": "MightySat-1 is a U.S. technology demonstration small satellite launched on 1998-12-04 and deployed into orbit on 1998-12-12; it reentered the atmosphere on 1999-11-21.",
  "url": "http://sspp.gsfc.nasa.gov/hh/mightysat/index.html",
  "sameAs": [
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## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/mightysat-1.htm)
2. Jonathan's Space Report
3. [Source](https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/mightysat.htm)
4. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1998-069C)
5. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1998-069C)