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Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere. Nation: USA. Agency: NASA, United Kingdom. Ionospheric studies; returned X-ray, ionospheric, cosmic ray data.
Specification
Ariel Chronology
26 April 1962
Ariel 1 Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Delta. Mass: 60 kg. Perigee: 398 km. Apogee: 1,203 km. Inclination: 53.8 deg. Ionospheric studies; returned X-ray, ionospheric, cosmic ray data. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).
27 March 1964
Ariel 2 Launch Site: Wallops Island . Launch Vehicle: Scout X-3. Mass: 68 kg. Perigee: 287 km. Apogee: 1,349 km. Inclination: 51.7 deg. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).
05 May 1967
Ariel 3 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Scout A. Mass: 90 kg. Perigee: 499 km. Apogee: 604 km. Inclination: 80.6 deg. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).
11 December 1971
Ariel 4 Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Vehicle: Scout B. Mass: 100 kg. Perigee: 476 km. Apogee: 592 km. Inclination: 82.0 deg. Ionospheric studies. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).
15 October 1974
Ariel 5 Launch Site: San Marco . Launch Vehicle: Scout B. Mass: 129 kg. Perigee: 504 km. Apogee: 549 km. Inclination: 2.9 deg. X-ray observatory. Cosmic X-ray astronomy. Injection point: 2.7S, 58.2E. Anticipated life: 5 years. Time of launch: 07:47:00.25 GMT. Decay also (belatedly) noted in ST/SG/SER.E/216.
02 June 1979
Ariel 6 Launch Site: Wallops Island . Launch Vehicle: Scout D. Mass: 154 kg. Perigee: 372 km. Apogee: 383 km. Inclination: 55.0 deg. Detection of heavy cosmic particles and X-ray astronomy. Launch time 2326 GMT. Also registered by the United States in ST/SG/SER.E/26, with parameters 97.2 min, 601 x 653 km x 55.0 deg, category A.
Bibliography:- 2 - McDowell, Jonathan, The United Nations Registry of Space Objects, Harvard University, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/QEDT/jcm/space/un/un.html
- 6 - JPL Mission and Spacecraft Library, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 1997. HTML when accessed: http://msl.jpl.nasa.gov/home.html
- 279 - McDowell, Jonathan, Launch Log, October 1998. HTML when accessed: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~jcm/space/log/launch.html
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Last update 12 March 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .