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{| cellspacing="5" class="infobox" style="width: 22em; text-align: left; font-size: 88%; line-height: 1.5em;"
|-
| 
[[Image:Aerocube3.jpg|center|200x205px]]<br> 

{|
|-
| '''Organization<br>''' 
| The Aerospace Corporation<br>
|-
| '''Launch Date<br>''' 
| 19th May 2009<br>
|-
| '''Launch Site'''<br> 
| MARS LP-0B<br>
|-
| '''Launcher<br>''' 
| Minotaur-1<br>
|-
| '''Perigee'''<br> 
| 435,6 km<br>
|-
| '''Apogee'''<br> 
| 472 km<br>
|-
| '''Inclination'''<br> 
| 40,5°<br>
|-
| '''Dimensions'''<br> 
| 10 x 10 x 10 cm³<br>
|-
| '''Satellite Mass'''<br> 
| 1 Kg<br>
|}

|}

The Aerospace Corporation’s AeroCube-3 CubeSat picosatellite is a third-generation miniature satellite that is significantly more complex than its predecessors. It features several infrastructure improvements. The most important is a new solar power subsystem that replaces the subsystem that failed on AeroCube-2. The AeroCube-3 will demonstrate a two-axis sun sensor and an Earth sensor. These are important pieces of a future guidance, navigation and control system. AeroCube-3 incorporates a two-foot diameter semi-spherical (8-panel) balloon that can serve as a de-orbit device as well as a tracking aid. AeroCube-3 uses an inflation system similar to the one on AeroCube-2. The difference in orbit life (with and without a balloon) is estimated to be from 1-3 years (depending on atmosphere assumptions) without a balloon compared with 2-3 months with the balloon inflated. A VGA-resolution camera pointing in the direction of the balloon will photograph its state of inflation. 

AeroCube-3 was built with funding from the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center’s Developmental Planning Directorate. 

== Payload characteristics  ==

The AeroCube-3 mission consists of two phases. Phase A occurs with the AeroCube-3 tethered to the Orion 38 motor that is the upper stage for the TacSat-3 Minotaur launch vehicle. During this phase, AeroCube-3 will measure its dynamics while on the end of a 200’-long tether attached to a tumbling object (the upper stage). A VGA-resolution camera with a wide-angle field of view will attempt to photograph the upper stage on orbit. A tether reeling mechanism inside the picosatellite can close the distance by drawing in the tether (it operates by ground command). Phase B occurs when the tether is cut and AeroCube-3 becomes a free-flying CubeSat picosatellite. In this phase, permanent magnets and hysteresis material will align the satellite with Earth’s magnetic field. In this configuration, a sensor suite will sweep Earth’s surface and various experiments can be performed. AeroCube-3 will store sensor data until it passes over its ground station and the data is downloaded.<br> 

== External links  ==

*[http://www.aero.org// The Aerospace Corporation Official Site]

[[Category:Projects]]

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