| Abstract |
SPOT-3 of CNES was launched September 26, 1993. The S/C is equipped with 2 HRV imaging sensors + DORIS + POAM-II.
Mission status: The spacecraft is out of operation since November 19961996, having reached the end of its nominal mission lifetime.. An ACS (Attitude Control Subsystem) failure occurred (loss of Earth lock) on November 14, 1996, terminating the operational service life of SPOT-3.
• The satellite entered safehold on November 14, 1996. The board of inquiry investigating the failure of SPOT-3 reported that the successive failure of three of the spacecraft's six gyroscopes caused the satellite to lose attitude control, ran out of power and then shut down within a period of hours.
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