 Explorer 45 (SSS-A) satellite | |
| Names | SSS-A S-Cubed A Small Scientific Satellite-A |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Space physics |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1971-096A |
| SATCATno. | 05598 |
| Mission duration | 3 years (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer XLV |
| Spacecraft type | Small Scientific Satellite |
| Bus | SSS |
| Launch mass | 52 kg (115 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 15 November 1971, 05:52:00GMT[1] |
| Rocket | Scout B (S-163CR) |
| Launch site | Broglio Space Center, San Marco platform |
| Contractor | Vought |
| Entered service | 15 November 1971 |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | 30 September 1974 |
| Last contact | 30 September 1974 |
| Decay date | 10 January 1992 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[2] |
| Regime | Highly elliptical orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 224 km (139 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 27,031 km (16,796 mi) |
| Inclination | 3.50° |
| Period | 469.30 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| AC Electric Field Measurement Channel Electron Multipliers with Electrostatic Analyzers DC Electric Field Measurement Fluxgate Magnetometers Search Coil Magnetometers Solid-State Detectors Solid-State Proton-Alpha Particle Telescopes | |
Explorer program | |
Explorer 45 (also called asSSS-A andS-Cubed A) was aNASA satellite launched as part ofExplorer program. Explorer 45 was the only one to be released from the programSmall Scientific Satellite.[3][4]
Explorer 45 was designed to perform a wide variety of investigations within themagnetosphere with regards to particle fluxes,electric fields, andmagnetic fields. Its primary scientific objectives were:
Explorer 45 had the capability for complete inflight control of the data format through the use of an onboard set of stored program instructions. These instructions governed the collection of data and were reprogrammable via ground command. Theantenna system consisted of fourdipole antennas spaced 90° apart on the surface of the spacecraft cover. The satellite contained two transmitters, one fordigital (PCM) data at 446bps, and the other for either the digital data or wideband analog data from 30-Hz to 10-kHz from the ac electric field probes and from one search coil sensor. The command system handled 80 commands for controlling the spacecraft and experiment functions, as well as for flight program loads for the data processing system. The antenna system consisted of four dipole antennas spaced 90° apart on the surface of the spacecraft cover. The satellite power system consisted of a rechargeablebattery and an array ofsolar cells. The spin rate was about 7rpm, and the spin axis lay in the spacecraft orbital plane which was approximately the same as the Earth'sequatorial plane. The initial local time of apogee was about 21.8 hours and the line of apsides moved around toward theSun at an initial rate of 12° per month. The satellite was operationally turned off on 30 September 1974, after approximately 3 years of successful and productive operation.[3]
Theelectric dipole antenna consisted of two boom-mountedgraphite coated spheres, 13.97 cm (5.50 in) in diameter, with a center-to-center separation of 5.08 m (16.7 ft). Each sphere was connected to a high-input-impedance (capacitance approximately equal to 10 pF, resistance approximately equal to 50megohms), unity-gainpreamplifier mounted on the boom about halfway between the center of the sphere and the center of the spacecraft. The axis of the antenna was perpendicular to the spacecraft spin axis. Theelectronics for theelectric field experiment consisted of a step-frequency analyzer and a wideband receiver. Thespectrum analyzer had fifteen narrowband frequency channels with center frequencies logarithmically spaced from 35-Hz to 100-kHz and one wideband frequency channel with a bandpass of about 100-Hz to 10-kHz. The four highest frequency narrowband filters of the stepfrequency analyzer hadbandwidths of ± 7.5% of their center frequencies and the remaining narrowband filters had bandwidths of ± 15.0% of their center frequencies. The filter outputs were sequentially switched into an 80-dB logarithmic detector with a measurement sensitivity of 10microvolts/m. The wideband receiver was an automatic gain control receiver with a bandwidth from 100-Hz to 10-kHz. The output of the wideband receiver modulated a special purpose telemetry transmitter. The wideband data was recorded on the ground and then processed by a spectrum analyzer to produce high-resolution frequency-timespectrograms. The wideband system was normally operated one orbit out of three, but it could be operated continuously for special periods.[5]
This experiment used cylindrical curved-plateelectrostatic analyzers in conjunction with channelelectron multipliers to studyion andelectron directional intensities in 8 or 16 contiguous energy intervals in the energy range 800-eV to 25-keV. Under normal operation, the voltage steps were synchronized to either the half roll or full roll of the satellite. Dual detector systems were used to extend the dynamic range of the instrument. A complete set of measurements was obtained every 64-seconds. This period was programmable. There were two electrostatic analyzers which looked along the spin axis. Both were capable of measuring ions or electrons as selected by ground command. One measured particles at 2-keV, the other at 5-keV.[6]
The electric field antenna consisted of two 13.97 cm (5.50 in) in diameter metal spheres mounted on the ends of two booms with a 5.08 m (16.7 ft) separation. Determination of the potential difference between the spheres yielded electric fields with a sensitivity of 0.1 mV/m. The rotation of the spacecraft allowed a two-componentDC measurement to be made. Over most of the orbit the DC measurements were contaminated by spacecraft photosheath-induced potentials and should not be used for determination of DC electric fields. A calibration plate on the spacecraft was used to change the spacecraft potential, thus checking on sheath overlap errors. In addition to the DC measurement, four rms spectrometer channels and a broad-band channel sampled low-frequency variations. The rms spectrometer channels sampled low-frequency variations from 0.3 to 1, 1 to 3, 3 to 10, and 10 to 30-Hz. About 1300 orbits of data were obtained, covering magnetic local times from 08:00 to 23:00 hours through thenoon sector. The instrument was used to locate theplasmapause because its amplifiers became saturated by the fields within the spacecraft photosheath when theelectron density was below about 60 per cc. About 900 measurements were obtained of the plasmapause boundary throughout the useful lifetime of the instrument.[7]
This experiment was designed to measure the vectormagnetic field and fluctuations over the spacecraft's orbit. This set ofmagnetometers consisted of a triaxial fluxgate system. These, along with a commandable flipper mechanism to check zero levels, were housed in the sphere at the end of the single boom extending 76 cm (30 in) along the spin axis. This system measured the vector magnetic field from DC to 10-Hz with a sensitivity of less than 5nT. The magnetic field was sampled 30 times each second. The experiment functioned normally until the latter part of March 1973 when a switch in the spacecraft analog multiplexer began to fail. No useful data were obtained after that time.[8]
This experiment consisted of two perpendicular search coil magnetometers, each mounted on a 61 cm (24 in) radial boom. The plane of one magnetometer was perpendicular to the spacecraft spin axis, and the plane of the other was parallel to the spacecraft spin axis. This system measured magnetic fluctuations between 1 and 3000-Hz. The search coil outputs were routed to sets of filters, each of which was nominally sampled once each second. The experiment functioned normally until the latter part of March 1973 when a switch in the spacecraft analog multiplexer (which affects analog to digital conversion) began to fail. After that time, the only reliable data were analog broad-band data.[9]
The solid-state electron detector was amagnetic spectrometer with an 800 g (28 oz)magnet, and four 300-micrometer, 0.25-cm2, rectangular, surface barrier, solid-state detectors. Electron intensities were measured in the energy ranges 35 to 70 keV, 75 to 125 keV, 120 to 240 keV, and 240 to 560 keV. After March 1973, due to a failure in the spacecraft analog multiplexer, analog data were not available and the actual energy levels could not be determined without special effort.[10]
This experiment contained two telescopes, each consisting of two surface barrier solid-statesilicon detector elements. The low-energy range telescope had detectors of thicknesses 100 and 300 micrometers, and was mounted behind a 2.2 kg (4.9 lb) broom magnet to sweep out electrons with energies less than 300-keV. This telescope measured the flux of protons in six channels covering the energy range 24.3 to 300-keV. The heavy ion telescope had detectors of thicknesses 3.4 and 100micrometres. This telescope uniquely identified the presence of protons,alpha particles (Z=2), and two groups of heavier ions, (lithium,beryllium,boron) and (carbon,nitrogen,oxygen), plus ions with Z>=9. The heavy ion telescope measured proton fluxes in six channels covering the energy range 365 to 872-keV, and the fluxes of alpha particles in the energy ranges 1.16 to 1.74-keV and 1.74 to 3.15-keV. It measured the fluxes of lithium, berrelyum, and boron ions in the ranges 3.6 to 7.1-MeV, 6.1 to 9.7-MeV, and 8.7 to 12.2-MeV, respectively, and the fluxes of C, N, and O ions in the ranges 12.1 to 15.7-MeV, 15.6 to 19.2-MeV, and 19.1 to 22.7-MeV, respectively. And it measured the flux of Z>=9 ions with energies > 20-MeV. In addition, electrons of energy greater than 300-keV were detected via the coincidence mode of the low-energy range telescope. Both telescopes were mounted at 90° to the satellite spin axis, and had full conical viewing angles of about 11°.[11]
Explorer 45 as launched on 15 November 1971, at 05:52:00GMT, from theSan Marco platform of theBroglio Space Center,Kenya, with aScout Blaunch vehicle.[1]
Explorer 45reentered in the atmosphere on 10 January 1992.[2]
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