NSSDCA ID: 1962-061A-02
Mission Name: Mars 1The Mars 1 Micrometeorite Detector consisted of piezoelectric sensors mounted on the reverse side of the solar panels. i.e. on the side facing away from the Sun. The detectable area exposed to micrometeorite impacts was 1.5 square meters. Signals from the sensor were sent to an amplifier-transformer, which sent the signal's resonance power to a storage device to be transmitted back to Earth. The maximum sensitivity was directly above the sensor, with sensitivity falling off rapidly to less that 20% of the maximum value at a distance of 5 cm from the sensor. The sensitivity stayed between 10% and 20% of the maximum value with little variation out to about 40 cm distance. The sensors responded to impacts of particles with a mass of 0.1 micrograms or more.
The sensors apparently worked by being triggered by (but not counting) the first impact, and then counting all impacts after that in a two-minute window. The counter would continue to operate until a two-minute cycle completed with no impacts, at which time it would only start counting again after an impact was recorded. The sensors were only operated at certain times during the flight for periods ranging from one to two hours.
Mars 1 was launched during the Taurid meteor shower on November 1, 1963 and recorded 60 impacts at 6600 to 42000 km from Earth during the first 48 minutes of the first 100 minute recording period (no impacts were seen in the last 52 minutes). The average impact frequency was 0,007 per square meter per second, correcting for the angle of incidence of the particles. No impacts were recorded in the 2nd half of November to December during periods of observation totaling 7 hours, 32 minutes covering distances up to 23 million km from Earth. From 31 December 1962 through 30 January 1963 at distances of 23 to 45 million km from Earth during a total recording time of 4 hours, 13 minutes, 104 impacts were recorded. After 30 January 1963 the instrument no longer functioned.
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Dr. David R. Williams
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. T. N. Nazarova | Principal Investigator | Russian Academy of Sciences |