SOLRAD 4B

Last updated

SOLRAD 4B
SOLRAD-GRAB intelligence satellite - Smithsonian Air and Space Museum - 2012-05-15.jpg
SOLRAD 4B reserve satellite (similar to SOLRAD 4)
NamesGRAB 5
SOLar RADiation 4B
SR 4B
GREB 5
Mission type Solar X-rays
Operator United States Naval Research Laboratory (USNRL)
COSPAR ID 1962-F03 (SRAD4B)
Mission durationFailed to orbit
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type SOLRAD
Manufacturer Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
Launch mass25 kg (55 lb)
Dimensions51 cm (20 in)
Start of mission
Launch date24 April 1962, 10:49 GMT
Rocket Scout X-2
Launch site Vandenberg Air Force Base, Western Test Range [1]
Contractor Douglas Aircraft Company
End of mission
Decay dateFailed to orbit
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric orbit (planned)
Regime Low Earth orbit
Perigee altitude 930 km
Apogee altitude 930 km
Inclination 66.80°
Period 103.00 minutes
←  SOLRAD 4
SOLRAD 6  →

SOLRAD (SOLar RADiation) 4B was a solar X-ray, ultraviolet, and electronic surveillance satellite. Developed by the United States Navy's United States Naval Research Laboratory, it was the fifth in both the SOLRAD and the GRAB (Galactic Radiation And Background) programs.

Contents

This satellite was the only SOLRAD to be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, to be launched via Scout rocket, and to be launched unaccompanied by any other satellites. Launched on 26 April 1962, a fourth stage failure resulted in payload impact at 225 nautical miles of the downrange. SOLRAD 4B was the last of the SOLRAD/GRAB missions, future SOLRADs being launched with the National Reconnaissance Office's (NRO) next-generation POPPY satellites.

Background

The United States Navy's Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) established itself as a player early in the Space Race with the development and management of Project Vanguard (1956–1959), [2] America's first satellite program. After Vanguard, the Navy's next major goal was to use the observational high ground of Earth's orbit to survey Soviet radar locations and frequencies. This first space surveillance project was called "GRAB", later expanded into the more innocuous backronym, Galactic Radiation and Background. [3] As American space launches were not classified until late 1961, [4] [5] a cover mission sharing the satellite bus was desired to conceal GRAB's electronic surveillance mission from its intended targets. [3]

The field of solar astronomy provided such cover. Since the invention of the rocket, astronomers had wanted to fly instruments above the atmosphere to get a better look at the Sun. The Earth's atmosphere blocks large sections of sunlight's electromagnetic spectrum, making it impossible to study the Sun's X-ray and ultraviolet output from the ground. Without this critical information, it was difficult to model the Sun's internal processes, which in turn inhibited stellar astronomy in general. [6] : 5–6  On a more practical level, it was believed that solar flares directly affected the Earth's thermosphere, disrupting radio communications. The U.S. Navy wanted to know when its communications were going to become unreliable or compromised. [3] Sounding rockets had shown that solar output was unpredictable and fluctuated rapidly. A long-term, real-time observation platform above the Earth's atmosphere – in other words, a satellite – was required to properly chart the Sun's radiation, determine its effects on the Earth, and correlate it with ground-based observations of the Sun in other wavelengths of light. [6] : 63 

Thus, the SOLRAD project was conceived to address several NRL goals at once:

SOLRAD 4B had two successful predecessors in SOLRAD 1 and SOLRAD 3, both of which made significant contributions to the understanding of ultraviolet and X-ray astronomy in the previous two years, [6] : 64–65  and which returned an abundance of intelligence on Soviet air defense radar installations. [10] SOLRAD 4B's immediate predecessor, SOLRAD 4, failed to make it to orbit on 26 January 1962, due to a faulty booster. [11]

Spacecraft

SOLRAD 4B was a functional duplicate of SOLRAD 4: [3] roughly spherical, modeled on the Vanguard satellite (which also had been developed by the Naval Research Laboratory). The satellite included both scientific SOLRAD and electronic surveillance GRAB packages within the same body. Mass of 25 kg, [1] the fifth in the SOLRAD series was more heavily instrumented than prior SOLRADS. Instead of one X-ray photometer, like SOLRAD 1 and SOLRAD 2, or two, like SOLRAD 3, it carried four X-ray photometers, allowing it to detect more intense and higher energy X-rays. Three of the photometers were shielded against Van Allen radiation belts (which could spoil results) by magnets, as had been done on earlier missions. The fourth was protected by a beryllium shield. It was hoped that SOLRAD 4B would not only conduct basic research into solar X-ray astronomy, but also determine the hazard hard X-rays posed to astronauts and satellites. [12]

Another point of difference between SOLRAD 4B and SOLRAD 1 to 3 was its four Lyman-alpha detectors. [12] Used for measuring ultraviolet radiation, two such detectors had been included on SOLRAD 1 and SOLRAD 2 to determine the impact of solar ultraviolet on radio reception. [13] None had been measured, and the detectors had been deleted from SOLRAD 3. They were reinstated on SOLRAD 4 and SOLRAD 4B not for solar study, but for night-time measurement to see if ambient Lyman-alpha radiation constituted a threat to astronauts and satellites. [12]

Mission

On 26 April 1962 at 10:49 GMT, Scout X-2 #111 [14] blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base Western Test Range. A lack of attitude gas in the Scout's 4th stage [1] caused the payload to crash at 225 nautical miles downrange. [15]

Legacy

SOLRAD 4B was the final flight of the SOLRAD/GRAB series. A subsequent SOLRAD/GRAB mission ("SOLRAD 5") was cancelled and the satellite intended for the mission was ultimately donated to the National Air and Space Museum in 2002. [10]

In 1962, all U.S. overhead reconnaissance projects were consolidated under the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), which elected to continue and expand the GRAB mission starting July 1962 [16] with a next-generation set of satellites, code-named POPPY. [1] With the initiation of POPPY, SOLRAD experiments would no longer be carried on electronic spy satellites; rather, they would now get their own satellites, launched alongside POPPY missions to provide some measure of mission cover. [14] Starting with SOLRAD 8, launched in November 1965, the final five SOLRAD satellites were scientific satellites launched singly, three of which were also given NASA Explorer program numbers. The last in this final series of SOLRAD satellites flew in 1976. In all, there were thirteen operational satellites in the SOLRAD series. [3] The GRAB program was declassified in 1998. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X-ray astronomy</span> Branch of astronomy that uses X-ray observation

X-ray astronomy is an observational branch of astronomy which deals with the study of X-ray observation and detection from astronomical objects. X-radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so instruments to detect X-rays must be taken to high altitude by balloons, sounding rockets, and satellites. X-ray astronomy uses a type of space telescope that can see x-ray radiation which standard optical telescopes, such as the Mauna Kea Observatories, cannot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sputnik 2</span> Second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit (1957)

Sputnik 2, or Prosteyshiy Sputnik 2, launched on 3 November 1957, was the second spacecraft launched into Earth orbit, and the first to carry an animal into orbit, a Soviet space dog named Laika.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment</span> NASA experiment to measure radiation from the Sun

The Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) was a NASA-sponsored satellite mission that measured incoming X-ray, ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and total solar radiation. These measurements specifically addressed long-term climate change, natural variability, atmospheric ozone, and UV-B radiation, enhancing climate prediction. These measurements are critical to studies of the Sun, its effect on the Earth's system, and its influence on humankind. SORCE was launched on 25 January 2003 on a Pegasus XL launch vehicle to provide NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) with precise measurements of solar radiation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galactic Radiation and Background</span> First US orbital surveillance program

Galactic Radiation and Background (GRAB) was the first successful United States orbital surveillance program, comprising a series of five Naval Research Laboratory electronic surveillance and solar astronomy satellites, launched from 1960 to 1962. Though only two of the five satellites made it into orbit, they returned a wealth of information on Soviet air defense radar capabilities as well as useful astronomical observations of the Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD</span> Series of American satellites

SOLRAD was an American series of satellites sponsored by the US Navy in a program to continuously monitor the Sun. SOLRAD was the Naval Research Laboratory's first post-Vanguard satellite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of X-ray astronomy</span>

The history of X-ray astronomy begins in the 1920s, with interest in short wave communications for the U.S. Navy. This was soon followed by extensive study of the earth's ionosphere. By 1927, interest in the detection of X-ray and ultraviolet (UV) radiation at high altitudes inspired researchers to launch Goddard's rockets into the upper atmosphere to support theoretical studies and data gathering. The first successful rocket flight equipped with instrumentation able to detect solar ultraviolet radiation occurred in 1946. X-ray solar studies began in 1949. By 1973 a solar instrument package orbited on Skylab providing significant solar data.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TD-1A</span>

TD-1A, or Thor-Delta 1A, was a European astrophysical research satellite which was launched in 1972. Operated by the European Space Research Organisation, TD-1A made astronomical surveys primarily in the ultraviolet, but also using x-ray and gamma ray detectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD 8</span>

The SOLRAD 8,Explorer 30 or SE-A satellite was one of the NASA SOLRAD program that began in 1960 to provide continuous coverage of solar radiation with a set of standard photometers. SOLRAD 8 was a spin-stabilized satellite oriented with its spin axis perpendicular to the sun-satellite line so that the 14 solar X-ray and ultraviolet photometers pointing radially outward from its equatorial belt viewed the sun on each revolution. Data were transmitted in real time by means of an FM / AM the satellite's telemetry system and were recorded by the stations on the Spacecraft Tracking and Data Acquisition Network (STADAN) tracking network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanguard TV-5</span> Failed rocket launch

Vanguard TV-5, also called Vanguard Test Vehicle-Five, was a failed flight of the American Vanguard rocket following the successful launch of Vanguard 1 on Vanguard TV-4. Vanguard TV-5 launched on 29 April 1958 at 02:53:00 GMT, from Launch Complex 18A at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rocket was unsuccessful in its attempt to place an unnamed satellite into orbit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Student Nitric Oxide Explorer</span> NASA satellite of the Explorer program

Student Nitric Oxide Explorer, was a NASA small scientific satellite which studied the concentration of nitric oxide in the thermosphere. It was launched in 1998 as part of NASA's Explorer program. The satellite was the first of three missions developed within the Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative (STEDI) program funded by the NASA and managed by the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). STEDI was a pilot program to demonstrate that high-quality space science can be carried out with small, low-cost free-flying satellites on a time scale of two years from go-ahead to launch. The satellite was developed by the University of Colorado Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and had met its goals by the time its mission ended with reentry in December 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD 9</span>

Solrad 9, also known Explorer 37 and Explorer SE-B, was one of the SOLRAD program that began in 1960 to provide continuous coverage of solar radiation with a set of standard photometers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD 10</span>

Solrad 10, also known Explorer 44, NRL-PL 165 and Explorer SE-C, was one of the SOLRAD series designed to provide continuous coverage of wavelength and intensity changes in solar radiation in the UV, soft and hard X-ray regions. The satellite also mapped the celestial sphere using a high-sensitivity X-ray detector. Information collected was expected to contribute to a better understanding of the physical processes involved in solar flares and other solar activity, and the potential effects of this activity on short-wave communications, as well as on future human space travel. For the period of July 1971 to June 1973, the core memory data of Explorer 44 were used rather than those from Explorer 37. The Explorer 44 core memory failed on 11 June 1973, and Explorer 37 was heavily used until 25 February 1974, when the gas supply of the attitude control system was exhausted.

The Gravity Gradient Stabilization Experiment (GGSE-1) was a technology satellite launched simultaneously with four other satellites on 11 January 1964 by the U.S. military from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Thor Augmented Delta-Agena D rocket. It demonstrated a new oscillation damping system intended for use in reconnaissance satellites.

SOLRAD 7A was the seventh solar X-ray monitoring satellite in the SOLRAD series, and the fourth to successfully orbit the Earth. It was boosted into orbit along with four other military satellites atop a Thor Augmented Delta-Agena D rocket on January 11, 1964. Data returned by SOLRAD 7A dramatically revised scientific models of the solar corona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD 1</span> U.S. solar X-ray and surveillance satellite

SOLRAD1 is the public designation for SOLRAD/GRAB 1, a combination science and surveillance satellite launched into orbit on 22 June 1960. It was the first satellite to successfully observe solar X-rays, the first to conduct surveillance from orbit, and the first to be launched with another instrumented satellite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD 2</span> U.S. satellite launched in 1960

SOLRAD 2 was the public designation for a combination surveillance and solar X-rays and ultraviolet scientific satellite, the second in the SOLRAD program developed by the United States Navy's Naval Research Laboratory. The SOLRAD scientific package aboard the satellite provided cover for the GRAB electronic surveillance package, the mission of which was to map the Soviet Union's air defense radar network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD 3</span> U.S. solar X-ray and surveillance satellite

SOLRAD 3 was a solar X-ray satellite, the third in the SOLRAD program. Developed by the United States Navy's Naval Research Laboratory (USNRL), it shared satellite space with and provided cover for the Navy's GRAB 2, a secret electronic surveillance program.

SOLRAD 6 was the sixth solar X-ray monitoring satellite in the United States Navy's SOLRAD series, the third in the series to successfully orbit. It was launched along with POPPY 2, an ELINT surveillance package, as well as three other satellites, boosted into orbit via a Thor Augmented Delta-Agena D rocket on June 15, 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD 4</span> US navy surveillance satellite

SOLRAD 4 was a solar X-rays, ultraviolet, and electronic surveillance satellite. Developed by the United States Navy's United States Naval Research Laboratory (USNRL), it was the fourth in both the SOLRAD and the GRAB programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SOLRAD 7B</span> Solar monitoring satellite

SOLRAD 7B was the eighth solar X-Ray monitoring satellite in the SOLRAD series and the fifth to successfully orbit the Earth. It was launched via Thor Augmented Delta-Agena D along with seven other satellites on March 9, 1965. The satellite provided continuous coverage of the Sun during the International Quiet Solar Year from March through October 1965.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "History of the Poppy Satellite System" (PDF). National Reconnaissance Office. 14 August 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  2. ↑ Constance Green and Milton Lomask (1970). Vanguard a History. NASA. ISBN   978-1-97353-209-5. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2019.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 American Astronautical Society (23 August 2010). Space Exploration and Humanity: A Historical Encyclopedia; in 2 volumes; A Historical Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 300–303. ISBN   978-1-85109-519-3.
  4. ↑ Day, Dwayne A.; Logsdon, John M.; Latell, Brian (1998). Eye in the Sky: The Story of the Corona Spy Satellites. Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press. p.  176. ISBN   978-1-56098-830-4.
  5. ↑ "Space Science and Exploration". Collier's Encyclopedia. Crowell-Collier Publishing Company. 1964. OCLC   1032873498.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Significant Achievements in Solar Physics 1958–1964. NASA. 1966. OCLC   860060668.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  7. ↑ ""Bonus" Payload Set for Transit 2A Orbit". Aviation Week and Space Technology. McGraw Hill Publishing Company. 20 June 1960. Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  8. ↑ Committee on the Navy's Needs in Space for Providing Future Capabilities, Naval Studies Board, Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences, National Research Council of the National Academies (2005). "Chapter 8". Navy's Needs in Space for Providing Future Capabilities. The National Academies Press. p. 157. doi:10.17226/11299. ISBN   978-0-309-18120-4. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  9. ↑ Parry, Daniel (2 October 2011). "NRL Center for Space Technology Reaches Century Mark in Orbiting Spacecraft Launches". U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  10. 1 2 3 LePage, Andrew. "Vintage Micro: The First ELINT Satellites". Drew Ex Machina. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  11. ↑ "Composite Launch Attempt Fails". Aviation Week and Space Technology. McGraw Hill Publishing Company. 29 January 1962. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  12. 1 2 3 "Navy Plans to Launch Quintuple Satellite". Aviation Week and Space Technology. McGraw Hill Publishing Company. 15 January 1962. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  13. ↑ "Transit, Two Small Satellites Work Despite Malfunction". Aviation Week and Space Technology. McGraw Hill Publishing Company. 10 July 1961. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  14. 1 2 McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathon's Space Report. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  15. ↑ Wade, Mark. "GRAB". Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  16. ↑ "Review and Redaction Guide" (PDF). National Reconnaissance Office. 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2019.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.