Alouette 2
| Launch of the Thor SLV-2 Agena B rocket with Alouette 2 satellite. | |
| Mission type | Ionospheric research |
|---|---|
| Operator | DRDC |
| COSPAR ID | 1965-098A Edit this at Wikidata |
| SATCAT no. | 1804 |
| Mission duration | Final: 9 years and 8 months |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | RCA Victor |
| Launch mass | 146.5 kilograms (323 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 29 November 1965, 04:48 (1965年11月29日UTC04:48Z) UTC |
| Rocket | Thor SLV-2 Agena-B |
| Launch site | Vandenberg LC-75-1-1 |
| End of mission | |
| Deactivated | 1 August 1975 (1975-09) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Medium Earth |
| Perigee altitude | 508 kilometres (316 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 2,652 kilometres (1,648 mi) |
| Inclination | 79.8 degrees |
| Period | 117.61 minutes |
| Epoch | 5 December 2013, 13:24:44 UTC[1] |
Alouette 2 was a Canadian research satellite launched at 04:48 UTC on November 29, 1965, by a Thor Agena rocket with Explorer 31 from the Western test range at Vandenberg AFB in California. It was (like its predecessor Alouette 1 , and Explorer 31) designed to explore the ionosphere.
History
[edit ]The name "Alouette" came from the French for "skylark" and from the title of a popular French-Canadian folk song. Alouette 2 was also known as ISIS-X since it was the first in a series of ISIS satellites: International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies. The next one was called ISIS-I.
The Alouette 2 was built up from the identical backup satellite to Alouette 1 . It had many more experiments and more sophisticated support systems than the earlier satellite. It lasted for 10 years, being terminated on August 1, 1975.[2]
RCA Victor of Montreal, Quebec, was the prime contractor; Havilland Aircraft of Toronto, Ontario, served as associate contractor.[3]
Post mission
[edit ]After the Alouette 2 was launched, the upper stage of the rocket used to launch the satellite became a derelict object that would continue to orbit Earth for many years. As of 2022[update] , the upper stage remains in orbit.[4]
The satellite itself became a derelict after August 1975. It too remains in earth orbit As of 2022[update] . [5]
References
[edit ]- ^ Peat, Chris (5 December 2013). "ALOUETTE 2 - Orbit". Heavens Above. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ "The ISIS Satellite Program". friendsofcrc.ca. 1996年07月19日. Retrieved 2017年02月26日.
- ^ "The ISIS Satellite Program". friendsofcrc.ca. 1996年07月19日. Retrieved 2017年02月26日.
- ^ "Alouette 2 Rocket - Satellite Information". satellite database. Heavens-Above. Retrieved 2013年09月25日.
- ^ "Alouette 2 - Satellite Information". satellite database. Heavens-Above. Retrieved 2013年09月25日.
External links
[edit ]
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