Explorer 32
Explorer 32, also known as Atmosphere Explorer-B (AE-B), was a NASA satellite launched by the United States to study the Earth's upper atmosphere. It was launched from Cape Canaveral on a Delta C1 launch vehicle, on 25 May 1966. It was the second of five "Atmosphere Explorer", the first being Explorer 17. Though it was placed in a higher-than-expected orbit by a malfunctioning second stage on its launch vehicle, Explorer 32 returned data for ten months before failing due to a sudden depressurization. The satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 22 February 1985.
Explorer 32 satellite | |
| Names | AE-B Atmosphere Explorer-B |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth science |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1966-044A |
| SATCAT no. | 02183 |
| Website | Explorer 32 |
| Mission duration | 10 months (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer XXXII |
| Spacecraft type | Atmosphere Explorer |
| Bus | AE |
| Manufacturer | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Launch mass | 224.5 kg (495 lb) |
| Power | Silver zinc batteries and Solar cells |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 25 May 1966, 14:00:00 GMT |
| Rocket | Thor-Delta C1 (Thor 436 / Delta 038) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, LC-17B |
| Contractor | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Entered service | 25 May 1966 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | March 1967 |
| Decay date | 22 February 1985 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 276 km (171 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 2,725 km (1,693 mi) |
| Inclination | 64.67° |
| Period | 116.00 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Electron Temperature and Density Ion Mass Spectrometer Neutral Particle Magnetic Mass Spectrometer Pressure Gauges Satellite Drag Atmospheric Density | |
Explorer program | |
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