Английская Википедия:Explorer 24

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Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use American English Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox spaceflight

Explorer 24 (also called AD-B, Air Density experiment-B and S-56C) was a NASA satellite designed for atmospheric studies. Explorer 24 was launched on 21 November 1964 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, California, with a Scout X-4. Explorer 24 was launched along with its successor satellite, Explorer 25.[1]

Spacecraft

Explorer 24 was placed in orbit together with Explorer 25 from a single launch vehicle. Explorer 24 was identical in configuration to the previously launched balloon satellites Explorer 9 and Explorer 19. The spacecraft was Шаблон:Cvt in diameter, was built of alternating layers of aluminum foil and plastic film, and was covered uniformly with Шаблон:Cvt white dots for thermal control. It was designed to yield atmospheric density near perigee as a function of space and time from sequential observations of the sphere's position in orbit. To facilitate ground tracking, the satellite carried a 136-MHz tracking beacon.[1]

Experiments

Nonsystematic Changes of Air Density

This experiment was designed to determine nonsystematic changes of the density of the upper atmosphere from studies of the drag on a Шаблон:Cvt diameter low-density sphere caused by short-term differences in solar activity. Density values near perigee were deduced from sequential observations of the spacecraft position, using optical (Baker-Nunn camera network) and radio and/or radar tracking techniques. This experiment resulted in the successful determination of reasonable density values until spacecraft re-entry.[2]

Systematic Changes of Air Density

This experiment was designed to determine systematic changes of air density as a function of altitude, latitude, and time of day, by measuring the drag on a Шаблон:Cvt diameter low-density sphere with ground tracking.[3]

Results

Explorer 24 helped determine the variation in density between the day and night of the Earth and gave rise to studies on the zone winds in the exosphere, at an altitude of between Шаблон:Cvt and Шаблон:Cvt.[4][5]

The satellite reentered the Earth's atmosphere on 18 October 1968.[1]

See also

Шаблон:Portal

References

Шаблон:Reflist

Шаблон:Explorer program Шаблон:Orbital launches in 1964