![]() Explorer 51 satellite | |
Names | AE-C Atmosphere Explorer-C |
---|---|
Mission type | Earth science |
Operator | NASA |
COSPAR ID | 1973-101A |
SATCAT no. | 06977 |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft | Explorer LI |
Spacecraft type | Atmosphere Explorer |
Bus | AE |
Manufacturer | Goddard Space Flight Center |
Launch mass | 658 kg (1,451 lb) |
Dimensions | 140 cm (55 in) diameter |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 16 December 1973, 06:18:00 UTC[1] |
Rocket | Thor-Delta 1900 (Thor 585 / Delta 099) |
Launch site | Vandenberg, SLC-2W |
Contractor | Douglas Aircraft Company |
Entered service | 16 December 1973 |
End of mission | |
Decay date | 12 December 1978 [2] |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric orbit[3] |
Regime | Medium Earth orbit |
Perigee altitude | 149 km (93 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 4,294 km (2,668 mi) |
Inclination | 68.10° |
Period | 132.30 minutes |
Instruments | |
Miniature Electrostatic Accelerometer (MESA) Bennett Ion-Mass Spectrometer (BIMS) Capacitance Manometer Closed-Source Neutral Mass Spectrometer Cold Cathode Ion Gauge Cylindrical Electrostatic Probes (CEP) Extreme Solar Ultraviolet Monitor (ESUM) Low-Energy Electrons (LEE) Magnetic Ion-Mass Spectrometer (MIMS) Neutral Atmosphere Temperature (NATE) Open-Source Neutral Mass Spectrometer Photoelectron Spectrometer (PES) Retarding Potential Analyser/Drift Meter (RPA) Temperature Alarm Ultraviolet Nitric-Oxide (UVNO) Visible Airglow Photometer (VAE) | |
Atmosphere Explorer |
Explorer 51, also known as AE-C (Atmospheric Explorer-C), was a NASA scientific satellite belonging to the Atmosphere Explorer series launched on 16 December 1973, at 06:18:00 UTC, from Vandenberg aboard a Delta 1900 launch vehicle.[1]
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