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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0217.PDF
FLIGHT International, 7 February 1963 207 the ionized gas envelope of the Earth extends to altitudes of some 20,00Okm. The existence of the highest belt of charged particles, discovered by Soviet scientists, has been confirmed. It has been found that in this belt the total number of particles captured by the geomagnetic field and their concentrations are greater than in the radiation belts situated closer to Earth. For the first time vast data have been received on the streams of solar plasma in that part of space which is more distant from the Sun than the Earth. Registration of meteor particles (with masses greater than one thousand millionth part of a gramme) showed the relatively high density of meteor matter of distances of up to 40,000-50,000km from the Earth. It has been found that the number of particles of such a mass decreases at greater distances. All the information transmitted from Mars 1 is now being pro cessed and carefully studied. SYNCOM LAUNCH IMMINENT THE first attempt to place a satellite into a synchronous orbit at 22,300 miles altitude is due to be made from Cape Cana veral on February 13. The spacecraft is the National Aero nautics and Space Administration's Syncom active repeater communications satellite, which will be launched by a Delta vehicle and injected into a synchronous orbit by a solid-rocket motor attached to the spacecraft. Since the scheduled orbit of Syncom is not equatorial, but inclined at 30° to the equator, the satellite is expected not to appear to be stationary over a point on Earth, but to move in an elongated figure-of-eight track over a fixed longitude over the Atlantic Ocean. The two primary ground stations to be used for the communication tests comprise a transportable unit, using a 30ft parabolic aerial, at Lakehurst, New Jersey; and a similar installation aboard the USMS Kingsport at anchor in Lagos Major components of the Syncom satellite structure are identi fied in this picture. The satellite has been developed for NASA by Hughes Aircraft Company TWANSPOWDgR RECEIVER . WCKEL-CADMIUM SATTERIES The Syncom satellite carries 3,840 silicon solar cells which supply energy to the nickel cadmium batteries. Its solid-rocket motor will be used to inject the spacecraft into the 22,300-mile orbit Harbour, Nigeria. The satellite is designed to conduct telephone, teletype and facsimile transmissions, but not television. Syncom is a NASA project which is being carried out with the support of the Department of Defense. The DoD is providing the ground stations and is conducting the communications experiments to meet NASA requirements. The Space Administration is pro viding the satellite, Delta launch vehicle, telemetry equipment and command ground stations, with overall project management exercised by the Goddard Space Flight Center. The spacecraft has been developed and built for NASA by Hughes Aircraft Co. Four objectives have been quoted by NASA for the Syncom experi ment: (1) to develop the capability of launching satellites into the 24hr orbit using existing launch vehicles plus additional solid fuel "apogee-kick" rockets; (2) to flight-test a new approach to satellite attitude and period control; (3) to obtain experience in using communication satellites in a 24hr orbit as soon as possible and (4) to develop transportable ground facilities which can be readily deployed in useful areas when communication satellites are put into operational service. The Delta launch vehicle will boost the Syncom to an altitude of about 150 miles where the spacecraft will enter an elliptical orbit. The Delta will be launched in an azimuth direction of about 108° from Cape Canaveral. Just before the third stage of the Delta fires it is given a spin rate of 150 r.p.m. so that the attitude of the satellite and its apogee motor will be maintained correctly as it coasts towards apogee following separation. A timer aboard the spacecraft is set to fire the apogee motor some 5Jhr after injection into the elliptical orbit at perigee. The motor can also be fired on command from the ground. The entry into synchronous orbit is scheduled to take place over the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. However, the planned position for Syncom is over the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and South America. Moving Syncom westward to the desired location is one task of the spacecraft's jet control system. The ground stations will determine whether Syncom is drifting eastwards or westward. If it is drifting westward at the correct speed no corrections will be made. Otherwise the hydrogen peroxide gas jet system aboard the satellite (on ground command) will move Syncom to the desired location. Once the satellite is at the desired location above the Atlantic and travelling at the speed necessary to maintain its synchronous orbit, a second jet control system will realign the satellite's spin
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