 Depiction of Explorer 27 in orbit | |
| Names | BE-C Beacon Explorer-C Beacon-C NASA S-66C |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Ionospheric research |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1965-032A |
| SATCAT no. | 01328 |
| Mission duration | 59 years, 6 months and 20 days (in orbit) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer XXVII |
| Bus | Beacon Explorer |
| Manufacturer | Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory |
| Launch mass | 60.8 kg (134 lb) |
| Dimensions | 30 × 45 cm (12 × 18 in) |
| Power | 4 deployable solar arrays and batteries |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 29 April 1965, 14:17:00 GMT |
| Rocket | Scout X-4 (S-136R) |
| Launch site | Wallops Flight Facility, |
| Contractor | Vought |
| Entered service | 29 April 1965 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 20 July 1973 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[1] |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 927 km (576 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,320 km (820 mi) |
| Inclination | 41.10° |
| Period | 107.70 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Langmuir probes Laser Tracking Reflectors Radio Beacon Radio Doppler System | |
Explorer program | |
Explorer 27 (or BE-C or Beacon Explorer-C, Beacon-C or S-66C) was a small NASA satellite, launched in 1965, designed to conduct scientific research in the ionosphere.[2] It was powered by 4 solar panels. One goal of the mission was to study in detail the shape of the Earth by way of investigating variations in its gravitational field.[3] It was the third and last of the Beacons in the Explorers program. The satellite was shut off in July 1973 so that its transmission band could be used by higher-priority spacecraft.[2]
- ^ "Trajectory: Explorer 27 (BE-C) 1965-032A". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b "Display: Explorer 27 (BE-C) 1965-032A". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Explorer Series of Spacecraft". NASA. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
