The primary mission objective for PERSEUS is the in-orbit validation of the eletrical propulsion system for the Lunar Mission BW1. After fulfilment of this objective PERSEUS has a secondary mission: doing astronomy with an UV-telescope.

Technology evaluation (go to technology page):

• Arcjet thruster
• Pulsed plasma thruster (PPT)
• Highly accurate and stable attitude and orbit control system (AOCS)

Science (go to science page):

• Surface contamination due to exhaust particles of thrusters
• Astronomy: UV-spectroscopy

The main structure of the PERSEUS satellite will have a size of about 50x69x85 cm. When the solar panels are expanded the satellite will have a wing span of 1.93 m. At that stage the solar arrays will cover a surface of 1.53 m². Like the Flying Laptop the PERSEUS satellite will be launched together with a bigger satellite as a so called piggyback payload into a polar, sun-synchronous, low earth orbit below 1000 km. As scientific payload PERSEUS will contain a telescope with a spectrometer and a CCD sensor sensitive for ultraviolet light in the vacuum UV (VUV: 10 nm - 200 nm). This will enable PERSEUS to do astronomical observations.