Sfera (TEKh-44) is a small passive
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...
deployed during a
spacewalk
Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut in outer space outside a spacecraft. In the absence of a breathable atmosphere of Earth, Earthlike atmosphere, the astronaut is completely reliant on a space suit for environmen ...
from the
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (J ...
in August 2012.
Description
Also called the Vektor-T calibration sphere, the Sfera satellite is used to determine the density of the
upper atmosphere Upper atmosphere is a collective term that refers to various layers of the atmosphere of the Earth above the troposphere and corresponding regions of the atmospheres of other planets, and includes:
* The mesosphere, which on Earth lies between the ...
by measuring how much drag occurs when the satellite passes through it.
TEKh-44 is a shiny sphere 53 cm (20.8 inches) across weighing 14 kg (~31 pounds).
Re-entry
It
re-entered the atmosphere in late November 2012.
SFERA
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See also
*List of passive satellites
List of passive satellites is a listing of inert or mostly inert satellites, mainly of the Earth. This includes various reflector type satellites typically used for geodesy and atmospheric measurements.
Passive satellites
*Calsphere
**Calspher ...
References
External links
Sfera deployed
Passive satellites
Spacecraft which reentered in 2012
Spheres
Atmospheric sounding satellites
{{Russia-spacecraft-stub