&sq=Google&lang=en&file=File:Explorer_9.jpg) The identical Explorer 9 satellite | |
| Names | NASA S-56 |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Air density research |
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | EXS-56 |
| Mission duration | Failed to orbit |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Explorer S-56 |
| Spacecraft type | Air Density Explorer |
| Bus | S-56 |
| Manufacturer | Langley Research Center |
| Launch mass | 7 kg (15 lb) |
| Dimensions | 3.66 m (12.0 ft) diameter |
| Power | solar cells and rechargeable batteries |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 4 December 1960, 21:14 GMT |
| Rocket | Scout X-1 (ST-3) |
| Launch site | Wallops Flight Facility, LA-3 |
| Contractor | Vought |
| End of mission | |
| Destroyed | Failed to orbit |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit (planned) |
| Regime | Medium Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 545 km (339 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 2,225 km (1,383 mi) |
| Inclination | 38.91° |
| Period | 118.6 minutes |
Explorer Program | |
Explorer S-56 was a NASA satellite launched on 4 December 1960, at 21:14 GMT as part of the Explorer program.[1] The satellite was composed of a 3.66 m (12.0 ft) diameter inflatable sphere, and was intended to study the density of the upper atmosphere. The Scout X-1 rocket used to launch Explorer S-56 failed in flight, and the satellite never reached orbit.[2]
- ^ "S-56". Encyclopedia Astronautica. 2019. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ "AD A, B, C / DAD B (S-56 / Explorer (9), 9, 19, 24, 39, (57))". Gunter's Space Page. 8 April 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2021.