Graham (satellite)

{{Short description|NASA phone-based satellite series}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = Graham

| image = Graham(satellite).jpg

| image_caption =

| mission_type = Technology

| operator = NASA

| website =

| COSPAR_ID = 2013-016E

| SATCAT = 39146

| mission_duration = 2 weeks

| spacecraft_type = 1U CubeSat

| spacecraft_bus = PhoneSat-1.0

| manufacturer = NASA
Spaceflight Services
ISIS

| dry_mass =

| launch_mass =

| power =

| launch_date = {{start-date|21 April 2013, 21:00|timezone=yes}} UTC

| launch_rocket = Antares 110 A-ONE

| launch_site = MARS LP-0A

| launch_contractor = Orbital Sciences

| decay_date = {{end-date|27 April 2013}}

| orbit_epoch =

| orbit_reference = Geocentric

| orbit_regime = Low Earth

| orbit_periapsis =

| orbit_apoapsis =

| orbit_inclination = 51.6264 degrees{{cite web |url=http://www.phonesat.org/phonesat.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423233046/http://www.phonesat.org/phonesat.txt |title=Orbital Elements |publisher=NASA |work=PhoneSat.org |access-date=23 April 2013 |date=23 April 2013 |archive-date=23 April 2013 |url-status=dead }}

| orbit_period =

| apsis = gee

}}

Graham, also known as PhoneSat 1.0a or PhoneSat v1a was a technology demonstration satellite operated by NASA's Ames Research Center, which was launched in April 2013. Part of the PhoneSat programme, it was one of the first three PhoneSat spacecraft to be launched.

A PhoneSat-1.0 satellite, Graham was built to the single-unit (1U) CubeSat specification, and measures {{convert|10|cm}} in each dimension. The satellite is based on an off-the-shelf HTC Nexus One smartphone which serves in place of an onboard computer and avionics system. Unlike the more advanced PhoneSat-2.0 spacecraft, Graham is powered by non-rechargeable batteries, and has no attitude control system, however onboard sensors can be used to determine and monitor the satellite's attitude.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/phonesat.html|title=PhoneSat Flight Demonstrations - NASA's Smartphone Nanosatellite|publisher=NASA|date=16 February 2013|access-date=23 April 2013|archive-date=27 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427035914/http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/small_spacecraft/phonesat.html|url-status=dead}} The cameras built into the phones aboard Graham and its sister satellite Bell was used to return images of the Earth from space.

Graham was named after Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. The two other PhoneSat spacecraft launched aboard the same rocket were named Alexander and Bell.{{cite web |url=http://www.phonesat.org/packet_description.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423233042/http://www.phonesat.org/packet_description.php |title=Packet Description |publisher=NASA |work=PhoneSat.org |access-date=23 April 2013 |date=23 April 2013 |archive-date=23 April 2013 |url-status=dead }} The three PhoneSat spacecraft, along with the commercial Dove 1 satellite, were launched as secondary payloads aboard the maiden flight of the Antares carrier rocket; flight A-ONE. The primary payload was the Cygnus Mass Simulator.{{cite web|url=https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/p/phonesat-1-2|title=PhoneSat-1 and -2 missions on Antares rocket maiden flight|publisher=European Space Agency|work=eoPortal Directory|access-date=23 April 2013}}

Liftoff occurred at 21:00 UTC on 21 April 2013, from Pad 0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, following attempts on 17 and 20 April which had been scrubbed due to an umbilical problem and high-level winds respectively.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/04/orbital-antares-debut-launch-attempt/|title=Antares conducts a flawless maiden launch|first=William|last=Graham|publisher=NASASpaceflight.com|date=21 April 2013|access-date=22 April 2013}} The launch was conducted by Orbital Sciences Corporation, however the CubeSats were launched under a contract with Spaceflight Services, using dispensers produced by ISIS. Alexander, Graham and Bell were deployed from a single ISIPod dispenser, while Dove 1 was deployed from a second such dispenser.{{cite web|url=http://spaceflightservices.com/spaceflight-successfully-deploys-five-spacecraft-launched-by-two-launch-vehicles-from-two-continents/ |title=Spaceflight Successfully Deploys Five Spacecraft Launched by Two Launch Vehicles from Two Continents |publisher=Spaceflight Services |date=21 April 2013 |access-date=23 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621062540/http://spaceflightservices.com/spaceflight-successfully-deploys-five-spacecraft-launched-by-two-launch-vehicles-from-two-continents/ |archive-date=21 June 2013 }}

On 27 April 2013 the satellite was confirmed to have burned up in the atmosphere, with instruments still running up until then.{{cite web|title=GRAHAM|url=https://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=39146|publisher=N2YO.com|access-date=January 29, 2023}}