Explorer 17
Explorer 17 (also known as Atmosphere Explorer-A (AE-A) and S6) was a NASA satellite, launched at Cape Canaveral from LC-17B on a Delta B launch vehicle, on 3 April 1963, at 02:00:02 GMT, to study the Earth's upper atmosphere. It was the first satellite of five "Atmosphere Explorer".
Explorer-17 satellite | |
| Names | AE-A Atmosphere Explorer-A S6 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth science |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1963-009A |
| SATCAT no. | 00564 |
| Mission duration | 98 days (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer XVII |
| Spacecraft type | Atmosphere Explorer-A |
| Bus | AE |
| Manufacturer | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Launch mass | 183.7 kg (405 lb) |
| Dimensions | 0.95 m (3 ft 1 in) diameter |
| Power | Nickel-cadmium batteries |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 3 April 1963, 02:00:02 GMT |
| Rocket | Delta-B (Thor 357 / Delta 017) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, LC-17A |
| Contractor | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Entered service | 3 April 1963 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 10 July 1963 |
| Decay date | 24 November 1966 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 255 km (158 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 916 km (569 mi) |
| Inclination | 57.60° |
| Period | 96.39 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Langmuir Probes Mass spectrometers Pressure gauges | |
Explorer program | |
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