Biosatellite 2
Biosatellite 2, also known as Biosat 2 or Biosatellite B, was the second mission in NASA's Biosatellite program for biological research. It was launched on September 7, 1967, by a Delta G rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Drawing of Biosatellite 2. | |
| Mission type | Bioscience |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA / ARC |
| COSPAR ID | 1967-083B |
| SATCAT no. | 9236 |
| Mission duration | 2 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | General Electric |
| Launch mass | 955 kilograms (2,105 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 7 September 1967, 22:04:26 UTC |
| Rocket | Delta G 475/D51 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-17B rp |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 9 September 1967 |
| Landing site | Hawaii, USA |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Eccentricity | 0.00202 |
| Perigee altitude | 286 kilometres (178 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 313 kilometres (194 mi) |
| Inclination | 33.5ยบ |
| Period | 90.8 minutes |
| Epoch | 7 September 1967 |
Biosatellite 2 carried 13 biological experiments involving insects, frog eggs, plants and microorganisms. The mission was ended early because of a tropical storm threat in the recovery area and communication problems between the capsule and ground stations. The main objective of the mission was to determine if the radiation sensitivity of living organisms in space is greater or less than on land, for which disposed of a radiation source in front of the capsule.
The satellite is currently the property of the National Air and Space Museum, reference number A19731629000. It is currently on loan to the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.