Solwind

Solwind / P78-1
The P78-1
Mission typeSolar physics
OperatorDoD Space Test Program[1]
COSPAR ID1979-017A[2]
SATCAT no.11278[2]
Mission duration6 years, 6 months, 20 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerBall Aerospace
Launch mass1,331 kilograms (2,934 lb)[3]
Dry mass850 kilograms (1,870 lb)
Start of mission
Launch dateFebruary 24, 1979, 08:24:00 (1979-02-24UTC08:24Z) UTC[3]
RocketAtlas F
Launch siteVandenberg, SLC-3W[3]
End of mission
DisposalDestroyed by ASAT
DestroyedSeptember 13, 1985 (1985-09-14)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSun-synchronous[4]
RegimeLow Earth
Eccentricity.0022038[5]
Perigee altitude515 kilometres (320 mi)[5]
Apogee altitude545 kilometres (339 mi)[5]
Inclination97.6346°[5]
RAAN182.5017[5]
Argument of perigee99.6346[5]
Mean anomaly260.9644[5]
Mean motion15.11755304[5]
Epoch1985 09 13.72413718[5]
Instruments
Gamma-ray spectrometer, a white light spectrograph, an extreme ultraviolet spectrometer, a high latitude particle spectrometer, an aerosol monitor, and an X-ray monitor[4]

P78-1 or Solwind was a United States satellite launched aboard an Atlas F rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on February 24, 1979.[6] The satellite's mission was extended by several weeks, so that it operated until it was destroyed in orbit on September 13, 1985, to test the ASM-135 ASAT anti-satellite missile.

  1. ^ Krebs, Gunter. "Solwind (P78-1)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  2. ^ a b McDowell, Jonathan. "SATCAT". Jonathan's Space Pages. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Solwind". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on June 24, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  4. ^ a b "The P78-1 Satellite". NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. June 26, 2003. Archived from the original on October 1, 2006. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cite error: The named reference NASA 2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Solwind (P78-1)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 2024-10-08.