> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wiki.kscucf.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wiki.kscucf.org/projects/tethered-satellite/t-sat-2.md).

# TSat-2

Summary of the TSat-2 mission, its two satellites, and their March 2026 flights.

TSat-2 was the third mission of the Tethered Satellite program. The team split into two focused sub-projects, **TSat-2A** and **TSat-2B**, which were built and flown as separate satellites, each with its own scope. Development began in Fall 2025 and both satellites flew in Spring 2026.

* **TSat-2A** concentrated on the *mechanical, deployment, and hardware systems*: a modular 2U housing with a remotely commanded separation system, a parachute, onboard cameras, and altitude sensing.
* **TSat-2B** concentrated on the *optical, electronic, and software systems*: a 1.5U satellite that sent live video and live telemetry to the ground for its whole flight.

Compared to TSat-0 and TSat-1, this iteration of the program operated with increased autonomy from the Board to give team leads the opportunity to gain leadership skills and to give the Board more time to focus on KSC as a whole.

## Flight day: March 28, 2026

Both satellites launched on a moored balloon from the UCF Arboretum on March 28, 2026. TSat-2B flew first and TSat-2A flew second.

|                         | TSat-2A                                                                                                                                                                                                  | TSat-2B                                                                              |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Peak altitude           | About 450 ft                                                                                                                                                                                             | About 450 ft                                                                         |
| Separation and recovery | The separation command was received, but the servo did not cut the line at first; the satellite separated after intervention. The parachute did not deploy and the housing was badly damaged on landing. | Stayed tethered and was recovered by reeling the balloon back in.                    |
| Data                    | Both cameras, both PCBs, and the SD card with images and altitude data were recovered.                                                                                                                   | Live video and live telemetry worked for the entire flight of about 30 minutes.      |
| Details                 | [TSat-2A Flight Results](/projects/tethered-satellite/t-sat-2/t-sat-2-mission-a/flight-results.md)                                                                                                       | [TSat-2B Results](/projects/tethered-satellite/t-sat-2/t-sat-2-project-b/results.md) |

## What carries forward

* TSat-2A showed that separation and parachute deployment must be tested end to end with the final flight hardware, and that the design must be frozen early enough to test late changes. See the [lessons learned](/projects/tethered-satellite/t-sat-2/t-sat-2-mission-a/flight-results.md).
* TSat-2B's live video and telemetry systems are a starting point for later missions. See [OpenHD](/projects/tethered-satellite/t-sat-2/t-sat-2-project-b/openhd.md) and [Live Telemetry Code](/projects/tethered-satellite/t-sat-2/t-sat-2-project-b/live-telemetry-code.md).