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Aviation History
1965
1965 - 0052.PDF
36 FLIGHT International, 7 January I96S Spaceflight 1964. Mariner 4, now en route to Mars, is also a success so far and is expected to fly past the planet on July 14, 1965. In six further launchings, seven Explorer spacecraft were success- fully orbited: Explorer 20 (August 25), Explorer 21 (October 4), Explorer 22 (October 10), Explorer 23 (November 6), Explorers 24 and 25 (November 21) and Explorer 26 (December 21). Other successes comprised Relay 2 (January 21), Echo 2 (January 25), fifth Saturn 1 (Janaury 29), Ariel 2 (March 19), GT-1 Gemini (April 8), suborbital RAM radio attenuation measurement craft (April 10), suborbital Project Fire (April 14), suborbital Little Joe 2/Apollo abort test (May 13), sixth Saturn 1 (May 28), Centaur AC-3 (June 30), suborbital SERT 1 space electric rocket test (July 20), suborbital Scout re-entry (August 18), Syncom 3 (August 19), Nimbus 1 (August 28), Orbiting Geophysical Observatory 1 (September 4), seventh Saturn 1 (September 18), suborbital Scout RFD-2 (October 9), suborbital Little Joe 2/Apollo abort test (December 8), Centaur AC-4 (December 11) and San Marco 1 (December 15). COMSAT LAUNCH AGREEMENT The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Communications Satellite Corporation have signed an agreement covering the launching by NASA of Early Bird, the first com- munication satellite intended for commercial use. The agreement also covers possible subsequent launchings of synchronous satellites of the same type. NASA will launch Early Bird as soon as possible after March 1, Above, zero-gravity effects are investigated in the underwater research laboratory at Boeing's aerospace division. The experimenter carries a backpack which provides breathing air and keeps the space suit pres- surized (water i$ pumped into the suit to achieve neutral buoyancy) and weights are attached to his ankles. Below, NASA engineers at Langley Research Center test airlock systems and techniques which might be used in the transfer of crews between spacecraft in the Gemini and Apollo programmes and will provide a backup launch should the first attempt fail. At the option of the corporation, NASA will also provide further launches after July 1. The space administration will provide thrust- augmented Delta vehicles and use them to launch synchronous satellites into low-inclination transfer orbits and provide telemetry and tracking data, and backup calculations, during the transfer orbits. DECEMBER ORBITS The following list covers all the artificial Earth satellites known to have been launched during December 1964. It follows on from the "Recent Orbits" feature in our December 17 issue. Orbital elements quoted normally refer to the initial values. December 4. 1964-79. USAF satellite launched from Western Test Range by Atlas Agena at about 18.58 GMT. Orbit 160- 355km (100-220 miles), inclination 97.02°, nodal period 89.69min. Decayed in the Earth's atmosphere on December 5, lifetime one day. Only component 79A, Agena satellite (cylin- der 5ft 2in diameter, length about 30ft, weight and trans- mitting frequency unknown). December 9. 1964-80. Cosmos 51 launched from the Soviet Union at about 23.00 GMT. Orbit: satellite 260-539 km (162- 335 miles), 48.76°, 92.45min; rocket, 258-536km (160-333 miles), 48.77°, 92.43min. Estimated lifetime: satellite, six months; rocket, 3| months. Components: 80A, Cosmos 51 (domed cylinder, estimated length 7ft, diameter 4ft, weight 9001b); 80B, rocket body (cylinder, estimated length 37ft, diam- eter 8ft, weight 4,5001b); 80C, D, E and F, four fragments. December 10. 1964-81. USAF satellite launched from Cape Kennedy at about 16.52 GMT using a Titan 3A boaster. Orbit 167-181km (104-112 miles), 32.15°, 87.7min. Decayed in Earth's atmosphere December 13, lifetime three days. Component 81 A, Titan 3A Transtage. According to DoD launch announcement a 3,7501b payload was ejected into separate orbit. December 11. 1964-82. Centaur 4 launched by NASA from Cape Kennedy at 14.25 GMT using Atlas Centaur AC-4 vehicle. Orbit 160km (100 miles) circular, 32°, 87.5min. Decayed in Earth's atmosphere December 12, lifetime one day. Only component 82A, Centaur 4 (cone-cylinder 10ft diameter, length (rocket) 30ft plus (payload) 16ft; weight (rocket) 4,4001b plus (mass-model Surveyor) 2,1001b; transmitted on 5765Mc/s). December 13. 1964-83. USAF multiple launch from Van- denberg by Thor Ablestar at about 00.08 GMT. Orbit: satel- lites l,O3O-l,O75km (640-669 miles), 89.97°, 106.3min; rocket l,018-l,068km (632-664 miles), 89.99°, 106.06min. Estimated life- time 700 years. Components: 83A, Ablestar (1,0001b cylinder about 16ft long, 4- ft diameter; containing transmitting pay- load?); 83B, Transit satellite? (weight 1301b?); 83C, APL radiation satellite? (weight 1351b?); 83D, fragment. December 15. 1964-84. San Marco 1 launched by Italian crew from Wallops Island at 20.20 GMT using NASA Scout booster. Orbit 200-843km (124-524 miles), 37.77°, 94.94min. Estimated lifetime: satellite, nine months; rocket, six months. Components: 84A, San Marco 1 (sphere 26in diameter, weight 2541b; transmitting on 20.005Mc/s for ionospheric studies, 136.53OMc/s for telemetry and 136.740Mc/s for tracking; 84B, Altair rocket. December 19. 1964-85. USAF satellite launched by Thor Agena from Vandenberg at about 21.12 GMT. Orbit 187-414km (116-257 miles), 74.99°, 90.53min. Estimated lifetime two weeks. Only component 85A, Agena satellite. December 21. 1964-86. Explorer 26 launched by NASA from Cape Kennedy at 09.00 GMT using a Thor Delta. Orbit 309-26,200km (192-16,800 miles), 20.14°, 456min. Estimated lifetime ten years? Components: 86A, Explorer 26 (octagon 17in high, 27in diameter with 34in tube and four paddles; weight 1011b); 86B, Altair rocket. December 21. 1964-87. USAF satellite launched from Van- denberg by Thor Agena at about 19.12 GMT. Orbit 227-268km (141-167 miles), 70.08°, 89.50min. Estimated lifetime two weeks. Only component 87A, Agena satellite. Seven more fragments have been discovered in the orbit of Explorers 24 and 25; they are designated 1964-76D to 76J. Two objects which decayed in the Earth's atmosphere recently are the Zond 2 carrier satellite (1964-78A) on December 1 (life- time one day), and the rocket body (1964-78B) on December 2 (two days).
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