View source for Delfi-C3

{{Short description|Dutch mini-satellite}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name                  = Delfi-C3
| image                 = Delfi-C3-Stowed.JPG
| image_caption         = Delfi-C<sup>3</sup> in stowed configuration

| mission_type          = Technology
| operator              = [[Delft University of Technology]]
| website               = [http://www.delfic3.nl/ Delfi-C<sup>3</sup> - Home]
| COSPAR_ID             = 2008-021G 
| SATCAT                = 32789 
| mission_duration      ={{time interval|April 28, 2008|November 13, 2023|show=ymd}} (achieved)

| spacecraft_bus        = [[CubeSat|3U CubeSat]]<ref name="Description">{{Cite web |url=http://www.delfic3.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67&Itemid=109 |title=Delfi-C<sup>3</sup> - Delfi-C3 Satellite |access-date=2008-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927173620/http://www.delfic3.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67&Itemid=109 |archive-date=2011-09-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| manufacturer          = 
| dry_mass              = 
| launch_mass           = {{convert|2.2|kg|lb}}
| power                 = 2.5 watts

| launch_date           = {{start-date|28 April 2008}}
| launch_rocket         = [[Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle|PSLV-CA]] C9 
| launch_site           = [[Satish Dhawan Space Centre|Satish Dhawan]] [[Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad|SLP]]
| launch_contractor     =

| last_contact          = <!-- {{end-date|[insert date here]}} -->
| decay_date            = 13 November 2023

| orbit_epoch           = 
| orbit_reference       = [[geocentric orbit|Geocentric]]
| orbit_regime          = [[Low Earth orbit|Low Earth]]
| orbit_periapsis       = 
| orbit_apoapsis        = 
| orbit_inclination     = 
| orbit_period          = 
| apsis                 = gee
}}
'''Delfi-C<sup>3</sup>''' is a [[CubeSat]] satellite constructed by students at the [[Delft University of Technology]] in the Netherlands. It is a 3-unit CubeSat,<ref name="Description" /> and was launched at 03:53:42 on 28 April 2008,<ref name="status">{{Cite web |url=http://www.delfic3.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=89&Itemid=121 |title=Delfi-C<sup>3</sup> - Mission Status Page |access-date=2008-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080521054826/http://www.delfic3.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=89&Itemid=121 |archive-date=2008-05-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as part of the [[Nanosatellite Launch System|NLS-4]] mission,<ref name="NLS">{{Cite web |url=http://www.utias-sfl.net/NLS-4/ |title=UTIAS - NLS-4 |access-date=2008-05-16 |archive-date=2008-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405072859/http://www.utias-sfl.net/NLS-4/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> aboard a [[PSLV]] rocket, from the Second Launch Pad at the [[Satish Dhawan Space Centre]] in India. The launch was contracted by [[ISRO]], through [[Antrix Corporation]] and [[UTIAS]].<ref name="NLS" />

The satellite's primary mission is technology demonstration and development.<ref name="overview" /> It is carrying new types of [[solar cells]],<ref name="overview">{{Cite web |url=http://www.delfic3.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30 |title=Delfi-C<sup>3</sup> - Mission Overview |access-date=2008-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927173755/http://www.delfic3.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=30 |archive-date=2011-09-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref> a solar sensor for [[Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research|TNO]] Science and Industry,<ref name="overview"/> and a high-efficiency amateur radio [[transceiver]] experiment.<ref name="overview" />

Delfi-C<sup>3</sup> does not contain batteries, as the experiments are dependent on the sun.
She is the fourth Dutch Satellite, after [[Astronomical Netherlands Satellite|ANS]], [[IRAS]] and [[SLOSHSAT]]. It is the first Dutch university Satellite and is based on a 3-Unit [[CubeSat]].

Some other mission characteristics include:

* No active [[Spacecraft attitude control|attitude control]]
* 1200Bd [[BPSK]] [[VHF]] downlink
* [[Linear transponder]]

The Delfi-C<sup>3</sup> [[ground segment]] consists of two command ground stations, the primary being in Delft and the backup station at the TU Eindhoven in Eindhoven. For data collection, a distributed ground station network (DGSN) is used in which radio amateurs receive packets and sent these via internet to the central data collection server.
Data decoding is possible with the free [https://archive.today/20110807124449/http://www.delfic3.nl/rascal RASCAL] software provided by the Delfi-C3 team.

The Delfi-C was still largely operational when it was followed up by the [[Delfi-n3Xt]] on October 21, 2013.

In May 2008, the amateur radio payload on the satellite was designated Delfi-C3 OSCAR-64 or Dutch OSCAR-64 (DO-64).<ref>{{cite web
 | url = http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2008/000190.html
 | title = AMSAT News Service Bulletin 138.02
 | date = 2008-05-18
 | publisher = Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
 | access-date = 2016-12-11
 | archive-date = 2010-12-23
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101223221031/http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/2008/000190.html
 | url-status = dead
 }}</ref>

The cubesat decayed from orbit on 13 November 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=32789#results |title=DELFI C3 |date=13 November 2023 |access-date=2 December 2023 |work=N2YO.com}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[List of CubeSats]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Delft University of Technology|state=expanded}}
{{Orbital launches in 2008}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}

[[Category:Student satellites]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 2008]]
[[Category:CubeSats]]
[[Category:Satellites of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Amateur radio satellites]]
[[Category:Delft University of Technology]]