This page no longer updated from 31 October 2001. Latest version can be found at www.astronautix.com
Class: Technology. Type: Tether. Nation: USA. Agency: National Reconnaissance
Office. Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Astronautics (Denver). STEX's (Space Technology EXperiments) main equipment was provided by the Naval Research Laboratory. These included:
- Hall Effect electric thrusters derived from Russian technology
- Experimental solar arrays and batteries
- ATEX advanced tether experiment, a follow-on to the earlier TIPS satellite. This comprised two end masses connected by a 6 kilometre polyethelyne tether. The upper end mass was deployed first, while the lower end mass remained attached to STEX. After a series of dynamics experiments in this configuration, the lower end mass was separated from STEX and the ATEX became a free-flying pair subsatellite.
Specification
STEX Chronology
03 October 1998
ATEX Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Taurus. Perigee: 750 km. Apogee: 766 km. Inclination: 85.0 deg. Remained attached to STEX.
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Last update 12 March 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .