 Explorer 23 satellite | |
| Names | S-55C NASA S-55C |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Micrometeoroid research |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1964-074A |
| SATCAT no. | 00924 |
| Mission duration | 1 year (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer S-55 |
| Bus | S-55 |
| Manufacturer | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Launch mass | 133.8 kg (295 lb) |
| Dimensions | 61 × 192 cm (24 × 76 in) cylinder |
| Power | Solar cells and nickel-cadmium batteries |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 6 November 1964, 12:02:01 GMT[1] |
| Rocket | Scout X-1 (S-133R) |
| Launch site | Wallops Flight Facility, LA-3 |
| Contractor | Vought |
| Entered service | 6 November 1964 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 7 November 1965 |
| Decay date | 29 June 1983 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[2] |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 451 km (280 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 865 km (537 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.90° |
| Period | 97.90 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Cadmium Sulfide Cells Capacitor Detectors Impact Detectors Pressurized Cells | |
Explorer program | |
Explorer 23 (also called S-55C) was the last of three S-55 NASA micrometeoroid satellites launched as part of the Explorer program. Its purpose was to obtain data on the near-earth meteoroid environment, thus providing an accurate estimate of the probability of penetration in spacecraft structures by meteoroids and allowing a more confident definition of the penetration flux-material thickness relation to be derived.[3]
- ^ "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Report. 21 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ "Trajectory: Explorer 23 (S 55C) 1964-074A". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
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