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WHAT SATELLITES WERE ON BOARD THE FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH?

 The Falcon Heavy is carrying satellites for universities, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Planetary Society. 

Six NOAA satellites make up the Cosmic-2 mission, which will monitor the temperature, pressure and moisture of the atmosphere across the tropics.

This data should help meteorologists improve their hurricane and tropical storm modelling.

The rocket is also carrying a deep space atomic clock, a solar sail, clean and green fuel, and even human ashes.  

There is another testing new telescope technologies, and a solar sail project part-funded by the Planetary Society.  

The remains being placed on board the General Atomics Orbital Test Bed, one of 24 satellites Falcon Heavy is carrying.

After the boosters separated safely, the craft began its six-hour mission to deploy the 24 satellites on-board. 

COSMIC-2 

This is a partnership between NOAA, the U.S. Air Force (USAF), NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL).

This six-satellite constellation will provide Global Navigational Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) data. 

This data is collected by measuring the changes in a radio signal as it is refracted in the atmosphere, allowing temperature and moisture to be determined. 

GPIM

The Green Propellant Infusion Mission, or GPIM, is a NASA mission that develops a 'green' alternative to conventional spacecraft propulsion systems. 

Oculus-ASR 

Oculus was developed by students at the Michigan Technological University in Houghton to determine spacecraft altitude and configuration using optical imagery. 

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems' Orbital Test Bed (OTB) is a 'hosting' model to test and qualify technologies.

 NPSAT  

 OTB hosts several payloads for technology demonstration, including the Deep Space Atomic Clock designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 

NPSat will investigate space weather and support space situational awareness (SSA).

PROX-1

Prox-1 is a microsat developed by students at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta which will demonstrate satellite close proximity operations and rendez vous.

   

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