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Mandrake 1 [Astro Digital]
Mandrake 1, also known by the manufacturers designation Corvus-BC 5, is a technology demonstration mission conducted under DARPA's Blackjack program as a risk-reduction mission.
Mandrake 1 is a CubeSat that carries supercomputer processing chips. The satellite used the bus of the cancelled Landmapper-BC 5.
The launch was planned for early 2021 on the SpaceX multi satellite mission "Transporter 1". When the Mandrake 1 and Mandrake 2 satellites were to be mounted on the payload stack, the deployment mechanism was accidently activated, which led to damage to both payloads. Mandrake 1 was eventually launched on an Electron KS (R).
| Nation: | USA |
|---|---|
| Type / Application: | Technology |
| Operator: | DARPA |
| Contractors: | SEAKR (payload); Astro Digital (bus) |
| Equipment: | |
| Configuration: | CubeSat (6U) |
| Propulsion: | |
| Power: | Solar cells, batteries |
| Lifetime: | |
| Mass: | |
| Orbit: |
| Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mandrake 1 (Corvus-BC 5) | 2020-085C | 20.11.2020 | OnS LC-1A | Electron KS (R) | with Dragracer A, Dragracer B, BRO 2, BRO 3, SpaceBEE 22, ..., 39, SpaceBEENZ 1, ..., 6, APSS 1, Gnome Chompski |
Launch Sites:
- OnS = Onenui Station, Mahia, Wairoa, North Island, New Zealand
References:
- Space News: DARPA to begin launching Blackjack satellites in late 2020, 11 May 2020
Further Blackjack missions:
