 Explorer 54 (AE-D) satellite | |
| Names | AE-D Atmosphere Explorer-D |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Earth science |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 1975-096A |
| SATCAT no. | 08353 |
| Mission duration | 4 months (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer LIV |
| Spacecraft type | Atmosphere Explorer |
| Bus | AE |
| Manufacturer | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Launch mass | 681 kg (1,501 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 6 October 1975, 09:00:50 UTC[1] |
| Rocket | Thor-Delta 2910 (Thor 600 / Delta 115) |
| Launch site | Vandenberg, SLC-2W |
| Contractor | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Entered service | 6 October 1975 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 29 January 1976 |
| Decay date | 12 March 1976 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[2] |
| Regime | Medium Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 154 km (96 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 3,816 km (2,371 mi) |
| Inclination | 90.10° |
| Period | 126.90 minutes |
| Instruments | |
| Miniature Electrostatic Accelerometer (MESA) Capacitance Manometer Cold Cathode Ion Gauge Cylindrical Electrostatic Probe (CEP) Low-Energy Electrons (LEE) Magnetic Ion-Mass Spectrometer (MIMS) Neutral Atmosphere Composition (NACE) Neutral Atmosphere Temperature (NATE) Open-Source Neutral Mass Spectrometer Photoelectron Spectrometer (PES) Planetary Atmosphere Composition Test Reflected Gas (Spacecraft) Retarding Potential Analyzer/Drift Meter Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer (EUVS) Ultraviolet Nitric-Oxide Experiment (UVNO) Visible Airglow Photometer (VAE) | |
Atmosphere Explorer | |
Explorer 54, also known as AE-D (Atmosphere Explorer-D), was a NASA scientific satellite belonging to the Atmosphere Explorer series launched on 6 October 1975 from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Thor-Delta 2910 launch vehicle.[3]
- ^ "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Report. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "Trajectory: Explorer 54 (AE-D) 1975-096A". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Display: Explorer 54 (AE-D) 1975-096A". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
