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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1917.PDF
SATELLITES AND PROBES: A Q U I CK-REFERENCE HISTORY Satellite Sputnik 1 Sputnik 2 (U.S.S.R.) Explorer 1 (U.S.A.)Vanguard 1 (U.S.A.)Explorer 3 (U.S.A.)Sputnik 3 (U.S.S.R.) Explorer 4 /1 1 c A \(U.S.A.) Project Score(U.S.A.) Vanguard 2 (U.S.A.) Discoverer 1 (U.S.A.)Discoverer 2 (U.S.A.) Explorer ( (U.S.A.) Discoverer 5 (U.S.A.)Discoverer 6 (U.S.A.) launching vehicle undisclosed undisclosed Jupiter C Vanguard Jupiter C undisclosed Jupiter C Atlas Vanguard Thor-Hustler Thor-Hustler Thor-Able 3 Thor-Hustler Thor-Hustler Date launched Oct. 4, 1957 Nov. 3, 1957 Jan. 31, 1958 Mar. 17, 1958 Mar. 26,1958 May 15,1958 July 26, 1958 Dec. 18, 1958 Feb. 17,1959 Feb. 28, 1959 Apl. 13,1959 Aug 7,1959 Aug. 13,1959 Aug. 19, 1959 Expiry or lifetime Jan. 4,1958 Apl. 14, 1958 3-5 yr est. 200 yr est. June 27, 1958 19 mths est. 1 yr est. Jan. 21, 1959 10 yr est. Mar. 5, 1959 Apl. 26, 1959 1 yr est. 1 month est. 1 month est. MAIN DETAILS of all the successful artificial Earth satellites and space probes launched up to August 21, 1959 are presented in these two tables, which have been compiled from official U.S. and Soviet sources. The "orbit" column lists the initial perigee and apogee, and theperiod quoted is the initial period of the satellite. The payload quoted is normally the total weight of the object concerned, with the weight of scientific equipment given in parentheses where known. Designation of the Mechta launching vehicle is unofficial. Launching* up to the end of 1938 formed part of International Geophysical Year activity; current U.S. launch- ings are by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Vanguard, Explorer, Pioneer) and the Advanced Kesearch Projects Agency of the Department of Defense (Discoverer). • , ' . •• . '•\ .''••. :-Vi ^ Shape sphere complex cylinder sphere cylinder conical cylinder Atlas shell sphere cylinder cylinder spheroid cylinder cylinder Paytoad (Ib) 184 1,120 30.8(13.13) 3.25 31 (18.56) 2,925 38.4 (25.8) 8,750 (150) 20.74 1,300 (245) 1,610 (245) 142 Incln. (deg) 65 65 33.34 34.25 33.4 65.3 50.29 32.3 32.88 87 89.3 48 ! 1,700 (300) 1,700(300) appx.90 appx. 90 Orbit [miles) 142-583 140-1,038 224-1,573 409-2,453 121-1,746 135-1,167 163-1,380 110-920 347-2,064 99-605 142-220 157-26,400 136-450 200-500 Period (min) 96.17 103.7 114.8 133.7 115.87 105.95 110.27 101.46 125.85 95.9 90.5 766 94 95 Experiments internal temp., press. cosmic rays, solar u-v. and X-rays, test animal (dog Laika) temp., press. cosmic rays, micrometeorites, internal and shell temps.temps., geodetic data cosmic rays, micrometeorites, internal and skin temps.atmos. press, and composition, positive ions, electrostatic charge and field. Earth's magnetic field, solar corpuscular radiation, cosmic rays, micrometeors, temps.corpuscular radiation, internal temp. radio transmit, record and receiving appara- tus cloud cover by photocells * checkout of propulsion, guidance, staging, communicationscapsule re-entry and recovery high-, medium- and low-level radiation, micrometeorites, magnetic field, facsimilescanner, radio propagation, internal and surface temp, measurement, internal temp. control, solar cells capsule re-entry and recovery capsule re-entry and recovery Radio (Mc/s) 20.005 40.002 40!002 108 108.03108 108.03108 108.0320.005 40.01 108 132^435 132.905 MM Q71 \Jf .7/ 107.94108 108.03 classified classified 108.06 108.09undisclosed UHF classified classified Re "narks batteries stopped Oct. 27, 1957 batteries stopped Nov. 10, 1957; satellite acceln. led to discovery of solar influence on upper- atmos. densitydiscovery of first Van Allen radiation belt mercury batteries stopped Apl. 5, 1958; solar batteries should power radio indefinitelydata on Van Allen belt, micrometeorite impacts chemical and solar batteries radiation belt data satellite received, recorded and re-transmitted voice messages from ground stations instrumentation functioned, but satellite's wobbling motion made data interpretation Wiffimlt*a ITTICU 11 stabilization difficulty hampered tracking capsule ejection timer malfunction caused capsule impact near Spitzbergen instead of Hawaii on Apl. 14 digital telemetrystores data, transmits on ground command; four 20inx20in solar-cell vanes forbattery charging; auxiliary 5 Ib thrust solid rocket carried bu&,unused capsule ejected but not located following "mal- function of sequencing telemetry signals"capsule ejected but not located Probe Pioneer 1 (U.S.A.) lunar probe Pioneer 2 (U.S.A.) lunar probe Pioneer 3 (U.S.A.) space probe Mechta orLunik (U.S.S.R.) space probe Pioneer 4 (U.S.A.) space probe Launching vehicle Thor-Able 1 Thor-Able 1 Juno 2 T-3 Juno 2 Dote Oct. 11, 1958 Nov. 8, 1958 Dec. 6, 1958 Jan. 2,1959 Mar. 3,1«9 . j Expiry or lifetime 43 hr 17.5 min 42.4 min 38 hr 6 min indefinite Shape toroidal toroidal conical spherical Payload (Ib) 84.4 (39) 86.4 (34.3) 12.95 3,245 (797) I I I indefinite conical 13.4 Distance (miles) 70.700 963 63.580 in orbit round Sun in orbit round Sun Experiments radiation, magnetic fields of Earth and Moon, micrometeor density, internal temp., elec- tronic scanner total ionizing radiation, cosmic ray flux, others as Pioneer 1 measurement of radiation in space internal temp, and press., gas components of interplanetary matter, of Sun, magnetic fields of Earth and Moon, meteoric particles in space, cosmic rays measurement of radiation in space, test photo- electric sensor near Moon Radio (Mc/s) 108.06 108.06 108.09 960.05 19.997 19.995 19.993 taliIOJ.O 960.05 Remarks determined radial extent of radiation band, mapped ionizing flux, ob- served hydromagnetic oscillations of Earth's magnetic field, dis- covered magnetic field discrepancy with theory, determined micro- meteor density and measured interplanetary magnetic field third stage failed to ignite; probeobtained data on flux, radiation, micrometeor density discovered second radiation belt; designed velocity, 24,897 m.p.h.; attained velocity, about 24,000 m.p.h. in orbit round Sun on 450-day cycle; sodium flare released and photo- graphed from ground; probe passed within "two lunar dia- meters" (about 4,300 miles) of Moon; radio contact held for 62 hr; perihelion 90.9m miles, Jan 14, 1959; aphelion (est.) 122.5m miles, Sept. 1959 passed within 37,300 miles of Moon,not close enough (20,000 miles) to trigger photoelectric sensor nor sample Moon's radiation. Tracked for 82 hr to 407,000 miles; peri-helion 91.7m miles, Mar. 17, 1959; aphelion (est.) 106.1m miles, Oct. 1, 1959; injection velocity of 24,790 m.p.h. was 188 m.p.h. below planned velocity
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