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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0681.PDF
FLIGHT International, 2 May 1963 SPACECRAFT LOG 16 December 1962 EXPLORER 16 1962 Beta Chi US National Aeronautics and Space Administration WALLOPS ISLAND Major objectives Orbit Earth satellite to measure micrometeoroid impact hazard on satellite skin samples; investigate particles with differing amounts of momentum; and compare performance of protected and unprotected solar cells in space. Major results Orbit achieved. All systems and experiments functioning as planned. Flight programme LAUNCH TIME 2.33 p.m. GMT LAUNCH VEHICLE Scout. Stages: (1) Aerojet-General Algol 2A developing86,0001bthrust; (2)Thiokol Castor,over64,0001b thrust; (3) ABL Antares, over 23,0001b thrust; (4) ABL Altair (X-248), 3,0001b thrust. All stages solid-propellant. LIFT-OFF WEIGHT 36,6001b. DIMENSIONS 72ft high, 40in base diameter. PROGRAMME Place satellite in Earth orbit. PROGRAMME RESULTS Orbit achieved. ORBITAL DATA perigee 468.72 miles inclination 51.99° apogee 727.88 miles period 104.3min velocity 16,000 m.p.h. (apogee), 16,940 m.p.h. (perigee) Payload and instrumentation DIMENSIONS 23in diameter, 76in long. WEIGHT 2221b. SHAPE Cylindrical (built around Altair motor case). INSTRUMENTATION Five types of micrometeoroid impact detectors; pressurized cells, foil gauges, wire grids, cadmium- sulphide cells and microphone impact sensors. Also temperature sensors. TRANSMITTERS TWO telemetry transmitters of the data-storage, command-readout type (136.86Mc/s and 136.2Mc/s). POWER SUPPLY 100 solar cells and two nickel-cadmium batteries. Additional data Explorer 16 registered 16 micrometeoroid penetrations during its first 29 days of flight. It also received many impacts not strong enough to penetrate but which were recorded by the satellite's sensitive microphone devices. Launch of Explorer 16 was the third in the series. The first attempt (June 30, 1961) failed when the third stage of the S:out vehicle did not ignite. The second attempt placed Explorer 13 in orbit on August 25, 1961, but only limited information was obtained because the satellite re-entered after only three days in orbit. Expec ted operating lifetime for Explorer 16 is approximately one year. Micrometeoroid detectors comprise 24 J sq ft of pressurized cells, foil gauges and wire grids exposed to the penetration hazard; and 4 sq ft of cadmium-sulphide cells and microphone impact sensors exposed for impact detection. Five test groups of silicon solar cells are carried on the nose of the satellite. The project is a combined effort by Langley Research Center, Lewis Research Center and Goddard Space Flight Center, with Langley having responsibility for payload integration and overall satellite system. Information source: NASA
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