A Year in Orbit! OPAL celebrates 365 days of operation in space!
	OPAL Tracking Click on the image for Opal's current location.
	APRS Network OPAL has been enabled to digipeat UI data frames. If limitations in OPAL's communication strength can be overcome by ground nodes, it can be used in the APRS network.

OPAL is in the nominal operations mode. OPAL continues to function properly. Operators are characterizing vehicle health and gathering data on the testbed payloads. Focus is on magnetometer measurements and characterization. In addition, OPAL has been enabled to perform digipeating functions for the APRS network.

Opal's current position can be found by clicking on the world map above.

Welcome to the OPAL web pages!  Check out the latest news on OPAL. 

OPAL is Stanford University’s second Satellite QUIck Research Testbed (SQUIRT) satellite. As part of the Space Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL) the SQUIRT project exposes graduate level students to all aspects of satellite design, construction, testing, and operations. 

Each SQUIRT satellite is meant to be constructed in one year and for only $50,000. The design for OPAL was started in early April of 1995.  However, since this is only SSDL's second satellite, development time has been extended.  OPAL was launched on January 26, 2001, on the maiden flight of a modified Minuteman missile called the Minotaur.

OPAL's (Orbiting Picosat Automatic Launcher) primary mission is to demonstrate the feasibility of launching multiple picosatellites from a mothership satellite. The satellite's secondary payloads are an accelerometer testbed and a magnetometer testbed, which will perform component characterization. 

If you have any questions about the OPAL satellite or SSDL please contact the laboratory director Prof. Robert Twiggs (btwiggs@leland.stanford.edu).

 
 
 
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