MANTIS (satellite)
European Earth observation CubeSat
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MANTIS was an Earth observation satellite developed by the UK-based company Open Cosmos with support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency (UKSA).[1][2] The 12U CubeSat successfully demonstrated the integrated Standard Imager for Microsatellites (iSIM), a high-resolution multispectral imager designed for small satellites, as well as in-orbit data processing.[3][4][5] MANTIS was the first space mission supported by ESA's InCubed programme managed by the agency's ɸ-lab.[6] The satellite was launched on a Falcon 9 rocket on 11 November 2023,[1][7][8] delivered its first Earth images on 20 November 2023,[9] and completed its mission by safely deorbiting in October 2025.[10][11][12][13] MANTIS was used in de-risking technologies for Atlantic Constellation Pathfinder, UKSA's contribution to the international Atlantic Constellation.[14]
| Operator | |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2023-174B |
| SATCAT no. | 58257 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | 12U CubeSat |
| Manufacturer | Open Cosmos, Terrabotics, IngeniArs, Satlantis, |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 11 November 2023, 18:49 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Transporter-9 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Space Force Base |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 15 October 2025 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Sun-synchronous |
| Altitude | 500 km |