0
Explorer 9 was the first in a series of 3.66 m inflatable spheres to be successfully placed into orbit solely for the determination of atmospheric densities. It was identical in its objectives and configuration to the earlier unsuccessful launch of Explorer S-56.
The spacecraft consisted of alternating layers of aluminum foil and Mylar polyester film. Uniformly distributed over the aluminum surface were 5.1 cm-diameter dots of white paint for thermal control. The sphere was packed in a tube 21.6 cm in diameter and 48.3 cm long and mounted in the nose of the fourth stage of the launch vehicle. Upon separation of the third and fourth stages, the ejection bellows, a nitrogen gas bottle, inflated the sphere and a separation spring ejected it out into its own orbit.
The two hemispheres of aluminum foil were separated with a gap of Mylar at the spacecraft's equator and served as the antenna. A 136 MHz, 15 mW beacon was carried for tracking purposes, but the beacon failed on the first orbit and the SAO Baker-Nunn camera network had to be relied upon for tracking. Power was supplied by solar cells and rechargable batteries.
Explorer 9 was the first spacecraft placed in orbit by an all-solid rocket and the first spacecraft successfully launched from Wallops Island.
The spacecraft reentered the earth's atmosphere on April 9, 1964.
Still curious? Ask our experts.
Chat with our AI personalities
Judy
Rafa
Coach
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Was mercury 1 the first NASA mission?
No, the first NASA missions were part of the Mercury program, which aimed to send astronauts into space. Mercury-Redstone 3 (also known as Freedom 7) was the first human spaceflight mission for NASA, launched on May 5, 1961 with astronaut Alan Shepard aboard.
Which satellite was launched recently by NASA?
NASA recently launched the Landsat 9 satellite, a collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey. This satellite will continue the mission of monitoring changes to the Earth's land and coastal regions.
When did nasa launch its last rocket?
NASA last launched a rocket on September 15, 2021 when the SpaceX Falcon 9 launched four civilians into orbit aboard the Inspiration4 mission.
What was Apollo 9 mission?
Apollo 9 was a manned space mission conducted by NASA in March 1969. It was the third crewed mission in the Apollo program and focused on testing the lunar module in Earth orbit for the first time. The mission was crucial in preparing for the eventual moon landing by testing the docking and rendezvous procedures needed for future lunar missions.
The sts-8 flight cover USPS nasa this flight cover and envelope postmarked aug 14 1983 was launched on aug 30th and returned on sep 9 the last complete mission of the challenger postmarked 9.35 value?
The STS-8 mission was the eighth Space Shuttle mission by NASA, launched on August 30, 1983, and returned on September 5. The Challenger was tragically lost during the STS-51-L mission in 1986. The value of the USPS NASA flight cover and envelope postmarked August 14, 1983, with a postmarked 9.35 stamp, commemorates the successful completion of the mission.
