Ariel 3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Ariel 3 with its paddles in the deployed position | |
| Names | Ariel3, S 53, UK 3, UK-E |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Atmospheric studies |
| Operator | SERC / NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1967-042A |
| SATCAT no. | 2773[1] |
| Mission duration | 43 months |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | 89 kilograms (197 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 5 May 1967, 16:00:01 UTC |
| Rocket | Scout A |
| Launch site | Vandenberg SLC-5 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Decommissioned |
| Deactivated | September 1969 |
| Decay date | 14 December 1970 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Eccentricity | 0.008 |
| Perigee altitude | 496 kilometres (308 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 599 kilometres (372 mi) |
| Inclination | 80.17 degrees |
| Period | 95.69 minutes |
| Epoch | 7 June 1967[2] |
Ariel 3 (UK 3 or United Kingdom Research Satellite 3) was a satellite in the Ariel programme, a satellite partnership between the US and UK. Three of the onboard experiments continued research from the first two missions and two experiments were designed for new research topics. It was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on 5 May 1967, making it the first satellite of the program to launch from the West coast. Ariel 3 was shut down in September 1969, and re-entered the Earth's atmosphere 14 December 1970.
This was the first artificial satellite designed and constructed in the United Kingdom.
Development
In 1961 the UK Space Research Group accepted proposals for experiments to be carried on the third satellite of the Ariel programme. The British National Committee for Space Research selected experiments from those proposals and submitted them to NASA in 1962. The scientific objectives for the mission were selected in January 1963, and full work on the satellite began in early 1964 due to organisational and financial difficulties.[3] A total of 5 craft were constructed.[4] One prototype, two engineering models, the final satellite and a flight spare.[4] The flight spare was later used as the basis of Ariel 4.[5]
Operation
Power could be drawn from the batteries or the solar panels. The batteries were considered the least reliable component in the system so this method was devised to mitigate the issue.[6]
The spacecraft weighed 89 kilograms (197 lb).[7]
Sensors
Ariel 3 carried five experiments.[8] The experiments measured properties of the thermosphere as well as detected "terrestrial radio noise" from thunderstorms and measured large-scale galactic radio frequency noise.[8] Ariel 3 was also fitted with a series of mirrors to observe the spin of the satellite.[9]
High-speed data was transmitted continuously to the Satellite Tracking and Data Acquisition Network (STADAN). Low-speed data was recorded on tape recorders and was transmitted to ground stations in the high-speed mode when commanded.[10]
Three experiments expanded on data from the previous two missions. Two experiments collected data on naturally occurring radio noise.[8]
