MITA: In orbit results of the Italian small platform and the first earch observation mission, hypeso

On July 15 2000 the first MITA (Italian Advanced Technology Minisatellite) was launched from Plesetsk (Russia) by a Cosmos rocket as a secondary payload with the CHAMP satellite. The main purpose of the first MITA mission is its in-flight validation, since MITA is going to be used as standard platform for small missions. Furthermore the scientific payload NINA-2 of INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare) and the technological payload MTS-AOMS (Micro Tech Sensor for Attitude and Orbit Measurement System) were embarked. The NINA-2 goal is the survey of galactic and solar cosmic rays at 450 km altitude. MTS is an ESA multi-tasking autonomous sensor based on Active Pixel Sensor (star and horizon sensor), Angular Rate Sensor and Magnetic Field Sensor. In this paper the main MITA bus characteristics are reported, together with the description of the launch and the commissioning phase. The first mission nominal orbit is circular, with a 450 Km altitude and a 87.3° inclination. The satellite attitude is nadir pointing, 3 axes stabilised. Spacecraft mass is 169.9 Kg. Two fixed solar panels provide an average power of 85 W EOL. The configuration of the satellite main body is based on a cubic shape module, made of Aluminium beams and honeycomb panels. This paper will start with a brief description of the MITA standard bus, followed by the presentation of its in-orbit results and performances, while a second part of the text will introduce the two new implementative missions of the bus i.e., AGILE, a Gamma Ray astronomical observatory and HypSEO, an Earth Observation demonstrating mission supporting an Hyperspectral Camera.