Science
BRITE-Austria
Catalogued as BRITE-AUSTRIA
Stellar Photometry · University of Vienna / TU Graz
Right now
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BRITE — Bright-star Target Explorer — is the world's smallest space telescope doing professional photometry. This Austrian nanosatellite (7 kg) stares at the 286 brightest stars in the sky, measuring minute variations in their light to understand stellar pulsations, spots, and winds. Part of an international constellation of six BRITE nanosatellites from Austria, Canada, and Poland, proving that satellites smaller than a lunchbox can deliver top-tier astrophysics.
Its orbit
- Orbit
- Low Earth Orbitcan appear as a fast-moving star at dawn or dusk
- Altitude
- 477–485 mi (767–781 km)
- Inclination
- 98.4°
- One orbit
- 100.2 minutes14.4 orbits a day
- NORAD ID
- 39091
- Int’l designator
- 2013-009F
- Launched
- 2013
Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 22 Sep 2026.
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- BRITE-HeweliuszStellar Photometry
- BRITE-TorontoStellar Photometry
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- BRO-13German Technology Demonstrator
- BRO-14SIGINT / maritime surveillance