
Scale model (1:6) of the Hipparcos (High Precision Parallax Collecting Satellite) astrometry spacecraft
- maker:
- European Space Agency


Model of Hipparcos astronomy satellite spacecraft, scale 1:6, made by ESA (European Space Agency), 1984-1985.
Hipparcos was the first space mission designed to map stars. It measured the positions, distances and motion of over 2½ million stars to new degrees of precision.
The satellite’s name acknowledges the Greek astronomer Hipparchus, who systematically mapped over a thousand stars with the naked eye around 150 BC. In 2010 a new mission called Gaia will launch, aiming to map over a billion stars.
Details
- Category:
- Space Technology
- Object Number:
- 1986-850
- Materials:
- metal (unknown), plastic (unidentified) and wood (unidentified)
- type:
- model - representation
- taxonomy:
-
- furnishing and equipment
- vehicle - transportation
- spacecraft
- unmanned spacecraft
- visual and verbal communication
- credit:
- European Space Agency