Ariel 4

Ariel 4
	Ariel 4.
Mission type	Ionospheric
Operator	SERC / NASA
COSPAR ID	1971-109A
SATCAT no.	5675
Mission duration	1 year (design life)
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	BAC
Launch mass	99.5 kilograms (219 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	11 December 1971, 20:47:01 UTC
Rocket	Scout B-1-F S183C
Launch site	Vandenberg SLC-5
Contractor	NASA
End of mission
Decay date	12 December 1978
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Eccentricity	0.00795
Perigee altitude	473 kilometres (294 mi)
Apogee altitude	590 kilometres (370 mi)
Inclination	82.9 degrees
Period	95.26 minutes
Epoch	10 January 1972
	Ariel ← Ariel 3 Ariel 5 →

Ariel 4, known pre-launch as UK 4, was a British ionospheric research satellite, which was operated by the Science and Engineering Research Council. It was launched 11 December 1971, aboard an American Scout rocket. Experiments were designed to meet one scientific objective, making it the first mission-oriented satellite for the UK. It was also the first satellite in the Ariel programme to contain an American experiment. Ariel 4 decayed from orbit on 12 December 1978

^ Cite error: The named reference nssdc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference satcat was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[nssdc-1] Cite error: The named reference nssdc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[satcat-2] Cite error: The named reference satcat was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1]

[2]