# OPS-SAT

> CubeSat by the European Space Agency

**Wikidata**: [Q18385314](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18385314)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPS-SAT)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/ops-sat

## Summary
OPS-SAT is a CubeSat developed and sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA). It is a miniaturized satellite (CubeSat class) designed by Graz University of Technology, launched on 2019-12-18 aboard a Soyuz launch vehicle.

## Key Facts
- OPS-SAT is an instance of the CubeSat class, a miniaturized satellite form made up of 10 cm-sided cubic modules.  
- Sponsor: European Space Agency (ESA).  
- Operator: European Space Agency (ESA).  
- Designed by: Graz University of Technology.  
- Launch date: 2019-12-18.  
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz.  
- Country: European Union.  
- Entered service: 2017.  
- Satellite catalog number (SCN): 44878 (reference: https://www.heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx?satid=44878).  
- Freebase ID: /m/0124t091.

## FAQs
### Q: What is OPS-SAT?
A: OPS-SAT is a CubeSat run by the European Space Agency and designed by Graz University of Technology. It is a small satellite that belongs to the CubeSat class.

### Q: When was OPS-SAT launched?
A: OPS-SAT was launched on 2019-12-18. The launch vehicle listed for OPS-SAT is Soyuz.

### Q: Who operates and sponsors OPS-SAT?
A: OPS-SAT is sponsored and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA).

### Q: What class of satellite is OPS-SAT?
A: OPS-SAT is a CubeSat, a class of miniaturized satellites built from 10 cm-sided cubic modules.

## Why It Matters
OPS-SAT represents an instance of European Space Agency activity in the CubeSat domain. As an ESA-sponsored and -operated CubeSat designed by an academic institution (Graz University of Technology), it exemplifies collaboration between a major space agency and university designers within the European Union. The CubeSat form factor has become important for low-cost, compact satellite missions; OPS-SAT’s classification as a CubeSat places it within that growing category of small satellites. Its documented identifiers (including a satellite catalog number and Freebase ID) and explicit launch on a Soyuz vehicle record its entry into operational orbit. These attributes make OPS-SAT part of the broader ecosystem of small-satellite missions that support technology demonstrations, research collaboration, and the operational use of standardized small spacecraft platforms.

## Notable For
- Being an ESA-sponsored and -operated CubeSat.  
- Designed by Graz University of Technology.  
- Launched on 2019-12-18 aboard a Soyuz launch vehicle.  
- Registered with satellite catalog number (SCN) 44878.  
- Classified in public records as an instance of the CubeSat class.

## Body

### Classification and Design
- Instance of: CubeSat.  
- CubeSat class definition: miniaturized satellite made up of 10 cm-sided cubic modules.  
- Designed by: Graz University of Technology.  
- Sponsor and operator: European Space Agency (ESA).  
- Country affiliation: European Union.

### Launch and Service Entry
- Launch date: 2019-12-18.  
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz (a Russian/Soviet rocket family and series of spacecraft).  
- Entered service: 2017.

### Identifiers and Records
- Satellite catalog number (SCN): 44878. (See https://www.heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx?satid=44878)  
- Freebase ID: /m/0124t091.  
- Wikipedia title: OPS-SAT.  
- Commons category: OPS-SAT.  
- Wikipedia languages recorded: commons, en.  
- Wikidata description: "CubeSat by the European Space Agency."

### Media and Links
- Representative image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Tiny_sat,_big_ambitions_ESA376721.jpg  
- Sitlink count (Wikidata): 2.

## References

1. [Source](https://www.heavens-above.com/orbit.aspx?satid=44878)